The Supervisor – Lead Instrumentation Engineer oversees the execution and quality of all instrumentation activities across aerospace testing programs, including flight, structural, propulsion, and environmental systems. This role combines technical depth in sensor/data acquisition systems with managerial responsibilities, ensuring that instrumentation efforts are efficient, compliant, and strategically aligned with program goals. The supervisor ensures the team's technical proficiency, readiness, and performance while acting as the senior liaison across departments and projects.
Instrumentation Oversight & Governance:
Supervise planning, design, integration, and validation of complex instrumentation systems across all test platforms.
Team Leadership & Management:
Direct and manage a team of engineers and technicians. Conduct resource planning, training, performance reviews, and task prioritization.
Program Support & Delivery:
Ensure instrumentation systems are delivered on time, within budget, and in accordance with technical specifications and test requirements.
Quality Assurance & Risk Management:
Implement processes to ensure signal integrity, data accuracy, and calibration traceability. Lead failure investigations and mitigation efforts.
Strategic Planning:
Develop long-term instrumentation capability roadmaps, incorporating emerging technologies and methods.
Process Improvement & Standardization:
Define and enforce best practices for sensor installation, wiring, DAU configuration, documentation, and signal validation.
Cross-Functional Coordination:
Act as the primary point of contact between instrumentation and other departments including flight test, structural engineering, avionics, and safety.
Budgeting & Procurement:
Oversee budgeting for instrumentation equipment, calibration services, and DAU systems. Approve tool acquisitions and vendor selection.
Regulatory Compliance & Documentation:
Ensure compliance with AS9100, FAA/EASA, DO-160, MIL-STD, and internal quality management systems. Maintain complete documentation and audit readiness.
Organizational Readiness:
Build and maintain an instrumentation team capable of supporting multiple concurrent aerospace testing programs with consistent reliability and expertise.
Technical Assurance:
Guarantee that all instrumentation designs meet or exceed engineering and regulatory standards with a focus on signal fidelity, environmental resilience, and data availability.
Operational Efficiency:
Improve scheduling, installation, and data validation workflows to reduce downtime and increase team responsiveness across test phases.
Leadership Development:
Mentor junior leads and engineers to develop a pipeline of future technical leaders and reduce skill gaps within the department.
Cross-Program Integration:
Ensure instrumentation planning aligns with system engineering timelines, flight safety needs, and program milestones.
Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Aerospace, Electrical, or Instrumentation Engineering
10+ years of experience in aerospace instrumentation, with at least 3 years in a technical leadership or supervisory role
Deep expertise in data acquisition systems (e.g., TTC, HBM, Dewesoft), telemetry, and sensor technologies
Strong leadership, mentoring, and conflict resolution skills
Experience managing multiple concurrent aerospace test programs or platforms
Familiar with industry regulations and standards (AS9100, DO-160, FAA Part 25, MIL-STD-810, etc.)
Strong technical writing, presentation, and project management skills