Senior Avionics Engineer

Overview

An innovative aerospace company developing next‑generation unmanned aircraft is seeking a Senior Avionics Engineer to lead the design, integration, and testing of avionics and electrical systems. This hands‑on role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys working across the full product life cycle, from electrical system design through to integration, testing, and flight readiness.

Location: Northern Virginia (On‑site/Hybrid) |
Employment Type: Full‑Time

• Design and develop aircraft electrical and avionics systems, including power distribution and data systems.
• Create and maintain electrical schematics and wiring harness designs.
• Perform electrical power distribution analysis, circuit sizing, and protection design.
• Support data bus architecture and communication protocols (CAN, RS‑485, ARINC‑429).
• Plan and support system integration, hardware bring‑up, and integration testing.
• Work closely with technicians during harness fabrication and system assembly.
• Support sensor integration, data acquisition (DAQ), troubleshooting, and debugging.
• Maintain engineering documentation, drawings, and design updates.

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience designing electrical systems and creating electrical schematics.
• Strong knowledge of DC power distribution and circuit protection.
  
  Experience developing and executing engineering test plans.
• Familiarity with aircraft or vehicle communication buses such as CAN, RS‑485, or ARINC‑429.
• Experience troubleshooting electrical and system integration issues.
• Comfortable working hands‑on in laboratory, integration, and test environments.

• Experience with electrical harness design tools such as Capital or similar.
• Knowledge of aerospace wiring standards (IPC/WHMA‑A‑620, AS50881).
• Familiarity with RF systems used for navigation or communications.
• Experience supporting aircraft or other complex vehicle development programmes.
• Previous involvement in integration laboratories or flight test campaigns.

• On‑site role with occasional travel to support flight testing.
• Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship.