AD&D Systems Engineer - Advanced Flight Controls Sr Principal

Job Summary

AD&D Systems Engineer - Advanced Flight Controls Sr Principal is a visionary and hands‑on engineer responsible for the early‑stage development of new and innovative advanced flight control systems within the Cirrus Advanced Design and Development (AD&D) department. This position will own the initial phases of advanced flight control systems development—from initial ideation through requirements capture, technology maturation, developmental testing/simulation, conceptual design, and well into requirements validation—to ensure a robust solution is delivered to Product Development.

• Guide and provide technical ownership of advanced flight control systems from initial ideation through conceptual design and into practical product paths, including primary flight control, automatic flight control, lift/drag augmentation, engine control, actuation, flight sensors, signal processing, and navigation.
• Support and guide a small team of technical professionals making quick, sound engineering decisions with limited data.
• Develop, review, and manage system‑level requirements across functional, performance, safety, human factors, environmental, operational, regulatory, and service domains.
• Engineer and refine requirements and objectives through stakeholder engagement and iterative experimentation.
• Create and manage development plans focused on early‑stage exploration, requirements capture, and concept validation.
• Conduct trade studies, analyses, and verification activities to validate architectures and design choices.
• Generate and test hypotheses through hands‑on prototyping, simulation, and evaluation, with minimal supervision.
• Drive system maturation efforts, including lab testing, flight testing, supplier engagement, and integration activities.
• Lead and participate in multi‑disciplinary design reviews throughout early development phases.
• Conduct early‑phase system safety and system development assurance activities (FHA, PSSA, FMEAs, requirements reviews, requirements validation, etc.).
• Generate engineering data and documentation, including design notes, schematics, models, drawings, specifications, test plans, and reports.
• Translate verbal direction and vision into actionable design objectives and development strategies.
• Collaborate directly with pilots, mechanics, and experimental technicians, as well as external stakeholders such as Product Development, Certification, and Production teams.
• Foster a culture of rapid prototyping, testing, and iteration, learning from both success and failure.
• Support early phases of certification projects, including interfacing with civil aviation authorities and ODA members.
• Communicate complex ideas effectively and efficiently to diverse audiences.
• Travel up to 25% may be required.

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering (or related STEM discipline);
  Master’s degree preferred.
• 14+ years of experience in aviation, aerospace, or advanced product development.
• Broad technical skillset related to aircraft, with strong understanding of advanced flight control systems and supporting systems.
• Previous early product development experience—from a clean sheet to working prototypes.
• Proven track record of producing results when developing new designs or products.
• Willingness to take smart risks, accept accountability, and fix mistakes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead small technical teams and manage early development projects.
• Intrinsic motivation to drive progress—explore, challenge, and innovate—and to minimize administrative overhead along the way.
• Experienced in iterative development cycles, with a strong ability to identify non‑viable solutions early and reorient technical strategy quickly.
• Strong hands‑on skills in prototyping, simulation, and testing, and comfortable operating under tight deadlines with minimal direction in a shop or lab environment.
• Proficient in creating engineering design definition—3D models, 2D drawings, sketches, logical diagrams, schematics, and engineering specifications.
• Working knowledge of system development and safety standards such as AC 23.1309 1E, SAE ARP
  4754A,…