AD&D Engineer Principal - A&E Systems

The AD&D Principal Engineer - Avionics and Electrical is a visionary and hands‑on engineering leader responsible for driving the early‑stage development of new and innovative aircraft, systems, or feature development projects within the Cirrus Advanced Design and Development (AD&D) department. This position will focus on the initial phases of aircraft development – ideation, hypothesis generation, stakeholder engagement, technology maturation, and conceptual design.

• Take full ownership of leading the development of Avionics and Electrical Systems from ideation through conceptual design and into practical product paths.
• Generate and test hypotheses through hands‑on prototyping, simulation, and evaluation, with minimal supervision.
• Create and manage development plans focused on early‑stage exploration, requirements capture, and concept validation.
• Engineer and refine requirements and objectives through stakeholder engagement and iterative experimentation.
• 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.
• Communicate complex ideas effectively and efficiently to diverse audiences.
• Travel up to 25% may be required.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering (or related STEM discipline).
• 10+ years of experience in aviation, aerospace, or advanced product development.
• Broad technical skillset related to aircraft, with strong understanding of avionics and electrical 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 – to explore, challenge, and innovate – and to minimize administrative overhead.
• 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.
• Comfortable operating under tight deadlines with minimal direction and in a shop or lab environment.
• Proficient in creating engineering design definition – 3D models, 2D drawings, sketches, schematics, BOMs.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Familiarity with system development standards (e.g., ARP
  4754A, ARP
  4761).

• Master's degree in related discipline.
• Previous experience in aircraft program development; leading integrated product teams, or similar technical teams.
• Private Pilot Certificate or personal aviation experience.
• Familiarity with PTC products (e.g. CREO, Windchill), Mathworks products (e.g. Matlab, Simulink), Atlassian products (e.g. Jira, Confluence).
• Proficient in at least one coding language.
• Experience with FAA certification processes and standards (e.g. Part 23, Part 27, Advisory Circulars, Industry Consensus Standards).

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Strategic Thinking & Decision Making
• Cross-functional Leadership
• Risk & Opportunity Management
• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication
• Conflict Management
• Resiliency & Adaptability

• 401(k) Plan
  :
  Dollar-for-dollar match up to 5% after 90 days, with 100% vesting.
• Employer-Paid Coverages
  :
  Group term life, short- and long-term disability…