Future Flight Decks Sr Principal Engineer

Overview

The AD&D Engineer Principal Sr. - Future Flight Decks is a forward-thinking engineering leader responsible for driving the early-stage development of intelligent, automated aircraft systems within the Cirrus Advanced Design and Development (AD&D) team. This position will lead the technical work to explore and develop new philosophies and design concepts related to simplified vehicle operations - including new flight deck technologies, advanced display and software features, and next generation control architectures. This role will be a key pillar of the AD&D team will own the maturation of new ideas into validated concepts, and is focused on the initial phases of aircraft development-ideation, hypothesis generation, stakeholder engagement, technology maturation, and conceptual design. The successful candidate for this role will be a balanced future-minded pilot, avionics, human factors, and concept prototyping engineer.

Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of leading the development of Future Flight Decks, pilot-vehicle interfaces, flight control inceptors, and their associated systems and software features -- from ideation thru conceptual design and into practical product paths.
• Lead the drafting and refinement of future pilot-vehicle-interface philosophies and concepts of operation for simplified vehicle operations.
• Lead the design, fabrication, and refinement of flight deck mockups and developmental simulators.
• Create and manage development plans focused on early-stage exploration, requirements capture, and concept validation.
• Design and validate control logic for automated system and equipment functionality.
• Generate and test hypotheses through iterative hands-on prototyping, simulation, and evaluation, with minimal supervision.
• Organize and conduct pilot and non-pilot user evaluations to assess concept prototypes and identify follow on questions, risks, issues, or areas of improvement.
• Organize, define, analyze, and validate pilot functional tasks.
• 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.
• Work closely with other groups developing embedded systems, advanced sensing systems, advanced flight controls, and automated systems.
• 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.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering (or related STEM discipline). Master's Degree, preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in aerospace or user interface product development.
• Broad technical skillset related to aircraft, with strong understanding of pilot-vehicle interfaces.
• Previous early product development or user interface 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.

Prefferred qualifications:

• Private, fixed-wing pilot with instrument rating.
• Advanced ratings or experience in multiple types would be beneficial for this role; Previous experience with automotive or computer user interface development; Previous experience with new avionics controls and display feature development; Experience with creative, consumer, or design-related product development; Experience with human factors design, evaluations, and data reduction processes; Previous aircraft development program experience, from early concepts to entry into service; Previous experience leading Integrated Product Teams or similar technical teams; Familiarity with Figma and ProtoPie design and prototyping tools; Familiarity with PTC products (e.g. CREO, Windchill); Familiarity with Mathworks products (e.g. Matlab, Simulink); Familiarity with 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).

Our Benefits: Cirrus provides a range of exciting benefits, including:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, vision, dental, with additional dependent coverage options
• Employer-Paid Coverages: Group term life, short- and long-term disability insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts: FSA and HSA offerings with company contributions to HSA
• Well-being: Calm Health, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness incentives through medical provider
• 401(k) Plan: Dollar-for-dollar match up to 5% after 90 days, with 100% vesting at 1 year of service
• PTO: Various PTO plans starting at 100 hours accrued within the first year
• Additional Time off Benefits: Paid holidays, 2 weeks of Paid Parental leave, paid time for funeral leave and jury duty
• Career Development: Tuition reimbursement program and professional growth opportunities
• Exclusive Discounts: Cirrus Store, partner and marketplace discounts available
• Community & Engagement: Company and employee clubs at various locations

These benefits are designed to support your well-being, growth, and enjoyment at Cirrus!

Pay Range

Salary Range: USD $167,507.58/Yr. - USD $251,261.37/Yr.

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