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Aircraft Systems Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

AeroTEC Inc.

DIRECTOR, AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS

Seattle, WA

About the Team AeroTEC's Engineering Department provides comprehensive, full-service aerospace ... About the Role As Director of Aircraft Systems, you will provide strategic and technical leadership ...

Astrion

$125K - $150K/yr

Advanced Electrical Engineering degree (MA/MS) and 12 years of experience in aircraft systems, of which 5 years must be in the DoD, * OR a BA/BS degree and 15 years of experience in Electrical ...

Astrion

$125K - $150K/yr

Advanced Electrical Engineering degree (MA/MS) and 12 years of experience in aircraft systems, of which 5 years must be in the DoD, * OR a BA/BS degree and 15 years of experience in Electrical ...

Astrion

$125K - $150K/yr

Advanced Electrical Engineering degree (MA/MS) and 12 years of experience in aircraft systems, of which 5 years must be in the DoD, * OR a BA/BS degree and 15 years of experience in Electrical ...

PPT Solutions

TUAS Systems Engineer

Huntsville, AL · On-site

This role provides systems engineering, integration, technical, operational, and sustainment support for Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft Systems, with an emphasis on technical rigor, lifecycle engineering ...

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Aircraft Systems Engineer information

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$43.5K

$138.8K

$227.5K

How much do aircraft systems engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for aircraft systems engineer in the United States is $138,776.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $117,500.00 and $158,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an Aircraft Systems Engineer do?

An Aircraft Systems Engineer is responsible for designing, analyzing, and optimizing various aircraft systems, such as avionics, hydraulics, propulsion, and electrical systems. They ensure compliance with industry regulations, safety standards, and performance requirements. Their role involves working with multidisciplinary teams, troubleshooting system issues, and improving overall aircraft efficiency.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Aircraft Systems Engineer position, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Aircraft Systems Engineer, you need a strong background in aerospace engineering, systems integration, and a relevant engineering degree. Experience with modeling and simulation tools (such as MATLAB/Simulink), familiarity with regulatory standards (like FAA/EASA), and certifications such as a Professional Engineer (PE) license are highly valuable. Problem-solving skills, attention to detail, effective communication, and collaboration set high performers apart in this role. These qualifications are critical to ensure aircraft safety, regulatory compliance, and seamless team collaboration in complex engineering projects.

What are the typical day-to-day responsibilities of an Aircraft Systems Engineer?

As an Aircraft Systems Engineer, your daily tasks may include designing and analyzing aircraft subsystems, preparing technical documentation, conducting system integration tests, and troubleshooting system issues. You’ll frequently collaborate with multidisciplinary teams of engineers, technicians, and project managers to refine designs and ensure regulatory compliance. The role often involves reviewing test data, implementing design improvements, and participating in design reviews or meetings with external stakeholders. This dynamic environment provides hands-on involvement in the development lifecycle of advanced aircraft components and systems.

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Aircraft Systems Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Aircraft Systems Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, 3% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $138,776 per year, or $66.7 per hour.
Flight Research Chief Engineer, Aircraft Systems

Flight Research Chief Engineer, Aircraft Systems

Joby Aviation

Santa Cruz, CA • On-site

$207K - $280K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 18 days ago

Job description

Company Overview
Joby Flight Research designs, develops, and flight-tests novel aircraft using a software-first autonomy approach. We build and deploy autonomy, perception, planning, and radar systems across conventional, electric, and hydrogen-electric aircraft in both CTOL and VTOL configurations.
Overview
The Chief Engineer, Aircraft Systems is the accountable technical authority for the aircraft systems of the Flight Research program: avionics, actuation, propulsion and their integration to meet the program goals. Within it, you own the systems architecture, the systems requirements baselines, the systems safety case, and the systems verification strategy.
Above your domain you are a stakeholder in shaping program goals, aircraft-level requirements, and the Concept of Operations, and you are accountable for representing systems constraints and capabilities in them. You lead the aircraft-systems engineering IPT team, which includes systems engineers, electrical systems engineers, and others. In addition to leadership responsibilities, you stay technically sharp diving deep into the levels required to move the project and small team forward.
Your mindset and associated rigor of these responsibilities will evolve with the program; initially supporting rapid R&D and iteration within a small team supporting a small fleet of aircraft. With program progress, efforts will focus on commercialization and initial entry into service opportunities and derived requirements.
Responsibilities
  • Own the aircraft-systems architecture and hold it coherent from concept through certification and flight.
  • Own and baseline the systems requirements hierarchy and traceability; approve changes and resolve cross-system conflicts.
  • Set functional boundaries with system owners (fuel cell, propulsion, avionics, actuation) and decide interface ownership and specifications.
  • Own systems-level architecture and component trades against function, mass, power, reliability, cost, and performance; own make-versus-buy decisions and vendor engagement within budget authority.
  • Own the systems safety case: FHA, PSSA/SSA, FMECA, and CCA per ARP4761/4761A, tailored to UAS failure classification and integrated with the SORA-based safety case.
  • Approve the systems verification strategy. Allocate requirements across analysis, simulation, Hardware-in-the-Loop, the system integration lab, and flight test, with explicit verification objectives, credit claims, and configuration baselines.
  • Chair the systems-level Technical Readiness Reviews (TRR) and Flight Readiness Reviews (FRR) and determine that the systems are ready for flight.
  • Represent systems constraints and capabilities as a stakeholder in program goals, aircraft-level requirements, ConOps, Detect-and-Avoid (DAA), and Command-and-Control (C2) decisions.
  • Lead and develop the aircraft-systems engineering team. Set technical direction, standards, and engineering workflows, knowing when to decide, when to delegate, and when to coach without becoming the critical path.

Required
  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Systems Engineering, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
  • 12+ years in aerospace systems engineering, including significant time as a technical authority, chief engineer, or lead on a development program.
  • Demonstrated accountability for systems architecture and the systems safety case through certification on at least one aircraft program.
  • Deep fluency with ARP4754A/B, ARP4761/4761A, and the DO-178C / DO-254 / DO-160 family.
  • Track record leading multidisciplinary systems teams and serving as the technical decision-maker, including functional-boundary and interface ownership with system owners and suppliers.
  • Willingness to travel to flight test locations to support experimental troubleshooting and correlate flight data to system models.

Desired
  • Prior chief-engineer or delegated technical-authority role on a clean-sheet program.
  • UAS systems experience including autonomous logic, C2 link reliability, GCS integration, and Detect-and-Avoid for Group 3-5 UAS; BVLOS operations.
  • Experience with SORA / SORA Annex F v2.5 (or equivalent operational risk assessment framework) and JARUS AMC RPAS.1309 Issue 2.
  • Hydrogen-electric or fuel-cell propulsion, or other novel powertrain integration experience.
  • Digital flight control systems development.
  • Expert-level experience with MBSE and requirements management tools (Jama, Polarion, Cameo/MagicDraw, or equivalent).
  • Clean-sheet aerospace development at the program-leadership level.
  • MS / PhD in engineering

Additional Information
Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $207,600 - $280,000/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.
This position must meet US export control compliance requirements, therefore a candidate must qualify as a "US Person" as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15. "US Person" includes US Citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees.
Joby is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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