Senior Systems Engineer
Listed on 2026-07-09
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Engineering
Systems Engineer, Aerospace / Aviation / Avionics, Engineering Design & Technologists
Position
Principal Systems Engineer – Aurora, IL
Position SummaryReports to the Mechanical/Systems Engineering Manager. Provides technical leadership on Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) design activities including bids, requirements decomposition and flow down, verification, testing and troubleshooting. Works with systems, software, electrical, mechanical and field service teams and supports Business Development during early capture phases.
Responsibilities- Support Business Development with customer meetings, requirements elicitation, architecture development, and systems implementation.
- Provide subject matter expertise as a project design authority of HMD systems.
- Support product development teams with use case analysis, requirements capture and allocation, architectural analysis and design, unit level testing, integration, verification and validation efforts, and transition to manufacturing.
- Collaborate with European divisions in the development of new products and product roadmaps capturing unique requirements for the U.S. market.
- Develop technical proposals and support cost estimations.
- Evaluate competing product and solution offerings.
- Represent Thales at relevant industry forums.
- Serve as a customer liaison, supporting design reviews and other technical interchanges.
- Support field installation, testing, evaluation, and troubleshooting of equipment.
- Provide technical consultation for solving design issues in HMD, Crash and Ejection safety analysis and tests.
- Provide technical consultation on emerging and adjacent markets.
- Provide technical counsel to engineering management.
- Travel up to 25% of the time.
- U.S. Citizenship required.
- Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering or related discipline.
- 8+ years as a Systems Engineer in Aerospace (Military or Commercial) or related industry.
- Strong knowledge of avionics products and related technology, HMD technology a large plus.
- Working knowledge of relevant industry standards (DO-254, DO-160, DO-178, MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD-810).
- Experience integrating subsystems onto aircraft or helicopters.
- Experience working within AS9100D or similar process environments.
- Ability to take ownership of assigned work.
- Experience in troubleshooting and resolution of technical problems.
- Experience in requirements definition, bidding and execution.
- Capable of working independently or as part of a team on assigned tasks.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills; fluent in English.
- Ability to comply with all Company guidelines, policies, procedures and embrace Company Core Values.
- Competitive Salary
- Yearly Incentive Compensation Plan
- Medical insurance for self and eligible family members
- Generous 401(k) program – up to 7% company contribution and 100% immediate vesting
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Paid wellness, vacation, and holiday leave
- Paid maternity, paternity, and parental leave
- 9/80 Work Schedule (every other Friday off)
- Hybrid Working Environment
Annualized pay range: $133,410 - $170,469 USD with a target incentive compensation plan of 5%.
Thales Defense & Security, Inc. is committed to non‑discrimination as applicable under federal, state and local laws. We are an E‑Verify Employer.
If you need an accommodation or assistance in order to apply for a position with Thales, please call Human Resources at 202‑961‑1016.
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