Job Title: Aerospace Instrumentation Engineer
Job Summary:
The Senior Aerospace Instrumentation Engineer is responsible for leading the design, integration, maintenance, and troubleshooting of complex avionics systems, flight control systems, and precision instrumentation for aircraft navigation, communication, and control. This role involves working on critical systems that ensure the accuracy and reliability of instrumentation systems in aircraft, contributing to their overall safety, performance, and compliance with regulatory standards. The Senior Engineer will take on a leadership role in technical decision-making, mentoring junior engineers, managing projects, and driving continuous improvement in instrumentation systems.
Key Responsibilities:
System Design, Integration, and Optimization:
- Lead the design, integration, and optimization of avionics and flight control systems, ensuring seamless operation and compliance with regulatory standards.
- Oversee the integration of precision instrumentation, including navigation systems, communication systems, and flight control systems, ensuring that all systems meet performance and safety requirements.
- Ensure that avionics and flight control systems are aligned with operational requirements, aircraft performance specifications, and safety standards.
Calibration and Maintenance:
- Lead the calibration and maintenance activities for avionics, flight control systems, and other critical instrumentation systems, ensuring the highest level of accuracy, performance, and reliability.
- Establish best practices and standards for calibration, ensuring that all systems are regularly calibrated, serviced, and maintained in compliance with safety and operational standards.
- Oversee the maintenance and repair of avionics and flight control systems, ensuring timely interventions to minimize downtime and optimize system functionality.
Testing, Validation, and Troubleshooting:
- Lead the testing and validation of avionics, flight control, and safety systems, ensuring that all systems are fully functional under a variety of operating conditions.
- Provide technical expertise in troubleshooting and diagnosing complex avionics and flight control system issues, resolving them quickly to ensure safe operations.
- Manage test campaigns and ensure that all systems meet required performance standards, addressing any anomalies or deficiencies that arise during testing.
Safety and Emergency Systems Leadership:
- Oversee the integration, maintenance, and validation of safety and emergency systems, including emergency communication systems, emergency flight control systems, and other critical safety equipment.
- Ensure that safety-critical systems meet regulatory standards and perform optimally during emergency situations, contributing to overall flight safety.
- Lead efforts to improve safety systems and instrumentation, ensuring that aircraft meet the highest safety standards and that emergency systems are reliable and effective.
Regulatory Compliance and Quality Assurance:
- Ensure that all avionics, flight control, and safety systems comply with industry regulations, including FAA, EASA, and ISO 9001 standards.
- Manage and oversee audits, inspections, and certifications for avionics and flight control systems, ensuring compliance with relevant safety and regulatory requirements.
- Ensure that all calibration and maintenance records are accurately maintained and compliant with industry standards, contributing to the overall quality assurance process.
Project Management and Technical Leadership:
- Lead and manage complex avionics and flight control system projects from concept through to completion, ensuring that they are executed on time, within budget, and according to specifications.
- Manage project teams, allocate resources effectively, and ensure that milestones are met. Provide guidance and leadership to engineers, technicians, and cross-functional teams involved in projects.
- Drive the strategic planning of avionics and instrumentation system upgrades, improvements, and innovations, aligning project goals with company objectives.
Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams:
- Collaborate with design, engineering, production, and operations teams to ensure avionics systems meet functional, operational, and safety requirements.
- Serve as the technical point of contact for all avionics and flight control system-related matters, liaising with internal teams, regulatory bodies, and external stakeholders as needed.
- Support other engineering disciplines, including electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering, to ensure proper integration of avionics and control systems with other aircraft systems.
Continuous Improvement and Innovation:
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives for avionics systems, ensuring that new technologies and methodologies are implemented to optimize system performance, efficiency, and safety.
- Stay informed on the latest advancements in aerospace instrumentation and avionics technologies, integrating emerging technologies into the company’s operations to stay at the forefront of innovation.
- Evaluate and recommend new tools, techniques, and systems that can enhance the quality, performance, and reliability of avionics and flight control systems.
Mentorship and Development:
- Mentor and guide junior engineers, providing technical leadership and professional development support.
- Provide training and knowledge transfer to less experienced engineers, helping them develop expertise in avionics and flight control systems.
- Promote a culture of learning and continuous development within the engineering team.
Skills and Knowledge Required:
- In-depth knowledge of avionics systems, flight control systems, and precision instrumentation used in aircraft navigation, communication, and control.
- Extensive experience with the calibration, maintenance, and troubleshooting of avionics and flight control systems.
- Expertise in safety and emergency systems for aircraft, including communication systems, flight control systems, and emergency protocols.
- Strong understanding of regulatory standards and safety compliance (e.g., FAA, EASA, ISO 9001).
- Proven leadership and project management skills, with experience managing large-scale avionics system projects.
- Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to diagnose and resolve complex avionics and control system issues.
- Strong technical documentation and reporting skills, ensuring that systems and projects are well-documented and compliant with internal and external standards.
- Proficiency with data analysis tools (e.g., MATLAB, LabVIEW) and diagnostic equipment used in avionics testing and troubleshooting.
Educational Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Professional certifications related to avionics systems, flight control systems, or regulatory compliance (e.g., Six Sigma, FAA certifications) are highly desirable.
Key Focus Areas:
Avionics and Flight Control Systems:
Leading the design, integration, and optimization of complex instrumentation systems for avionics and flight controls.- Overseeing performance validation and troubleshooting of advanced avionics components, ensuring compliance with industry standards like DO-178C and DO-254.
Safety and Emergency Systems:
Directing the development, testing, and certification of instrumentation for safety-critical systems, such as fire suppression, oxygen delivery, and evacuation tools.- Driving risk analysis and implementing fail-safe mechanisms to enhance system reliability in critical scenarios.
Precision Instrumentation:
Supervising the calibration, validation, and maintenance of high-precision instruments used in navigation, communication, and control.- Developing innovative solutions to improve instrumentation accuracy and reliability while addressing complex technical challenges.
- Mentoring and guiding junior engineers in advanced instrumentation techniques and methodologies.
Experience:
- 7+ years of experience in avionics systems, flight control systems, or precision instrumentation in the aerospace industry, with at least 3 years in a senior or leadership role.
- Proven track record of managing complex avionics system projects, ensuring system performance, reliability, and compliance with regulatory standards.
- Extensive hands-on experience with the installation, calibration, testing, and troubleshooting of avionics and flight control systems.
Tools and Technologies:
- Proficiency with avionics testing and diagnostic tools, including flight data recorders, radar systems, and communication equipment.
- Familiarity with performance monitoring tools, simulation software, and avionics testing software (e.g., MATLAB, LabVIEW).
- Experience with statistical analysis tools for performance data evaluation and reporting.
Other Requirements:
- Strong leadership skills, with the ability to manage a team, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
- Ability to work independently and lead technical projects to completion, balancing multiple priorities.
- A commitment to maintaining the highest standards of accuracy, reliability, and safety in avionics and flight control systems.
- Willingness to travel as required to support installations, testing, or troubleshooting of avionics systems.