Principal Electrical Engineer

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Electra is pioneering sustainable aviation by developing hybrid‑electric Ultra Short Takeoff and Landing aircraft designed to transform regional air mobility. The technology operates from soccer field‑sized spaces and unlocks a new era of aviation through what we call Direct Aviation—the next level of connectivity bringing air travel closer to where we live, work, and play. Headquartered in Northern Virginia with additional locations in Switzerland, we are building a diverse team of global professionals passionate about redefining the future of aviation.

Electra is seeking a Principal Electrical Engineer to lead the development, integration, and optimization of electrical power systems on Electra’s flagship nine‑passenger EL9 aircraft. This role will be responsible for the aircraft electrical systems—including power distribution, energy storage, conversion, and system safety protections—ensuring reliable, certifiable, and high‑performance operation across the full aircraft lifecycle.

• Lead the design of the aircraft’s electrical systems, including generation, conversion, distribution, and energy storage.
• Develop and maintain aircraft power budgets, assess load cases, and perform trade studies to optimize system efficiency and reliability.
• Define and enforce system‑level electrical and power interface requirements, including grounding strategies, EMI/EMC protection, and safety features.
• Collaborate closely with propulsion, avionics, flight controls, and structural teams to ensure electrical system compatibility and safe integration.
• Develop and execute test plans for electrical systems, including validation, HIL setups, bench, and lab testing.
• Evaluate and qualify suppliers, components, and subsystems, ensuring compliance standards and reliability requirements are met.
• Generate and maintain system documentation including schematics, wiring diagrams, Interface Control Document (ICD), and certification deliverables.
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and guidance to junior engineers.
• Contribute to process development and continuous improvement initiatives in electrical systems engineering.
• Stay current with evolving hybrid‑electric aircraft technologies, FAA regulations, safety, and certification standards.

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Electrical Engineering, or other related field;
  Master’s degree preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in aircraft electrical systems design, integration, and certification, or an equivalent combination of education, skills, and experience.

• Strong understanding of aircraft electrical power systems (preferably 28 Vdc).
• Demonstrated ability to perform electrical load analysis, wire harness design, and system integration.
• Proficiency with electrical modeling and simulation tools.
• Familiarity with EWIS requirements, EMI/EMC testing, and environmental qualification.
• Proficiency with industry standards and processes relevant to the development of aircraft electrical systems, including DO-254 or DO-178C.
• Proficiency with electrical CAD tools (preferably Mentor Capital).
• Experience producing system‑level documentation, including design reviews, analysis reports, and test plans.
• Strong collaboration skills with cross‑discipline teams and experience leading technical reviews.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with a track record of influencing stakeholders.

• Experience leading the development of electrical systems for FAA Part 23 aircraft.
• Hands‑on experience with commercial certification processes (preferably FAA Part 23).
• Experience with hybrid‑electric propulsion or advanced electrical architectures.
• Experience managing supplier development activities.
• Familiarity with redundant power systems, fail‑safe designs, and fault detection/isolation techniques.
• Experience with requirements management tools (e.g., JAMA) and/or system modeling tools (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink).
• Private pilot license is a plus.

Location:

Headquarters in Manassas, VA…