Avionics Program Manager Jobs in Minnesota (NOW HIRING)

Job Summary

The AD&D Engineer Principal - 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.

Duties and Responsibilities/Essential Functions

• Take full ownership of leading the development of future flight decks, pilot-vehicle interfaces, flight controls, 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

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). Master's Degree, preferred.
• 10+ 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, with English proficiency.

Preferred 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).

Competencies

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

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Work beyond 40 hours per week may be required.

Cirrus is dedicated to a drug free work environment promoting equal employment opportunity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, national origin, color, age, disability, religion, pregnancy, veteran status, marital and family status, sexual orientation, receipt of public assistance, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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

• 401(k) Plan: Dollar-for-dollar match up to 5% after 90 days, with 100% vesting after one year of employment.
• Employer-Paid Coverages: Group term life, short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, vision, dental, with additional dependent coverage options.
• Free Health Tracking: With rewards for meeting health goals.
• Generous PTO: 120+ hours accrued within the first year.
• Employee Referral Bonus: For referring talented candidates.
• Career Development: Tuition reimbursement and professional growth opportunities.
• Exclusive Discounts: Access to partner and marketplace discounts.
• Community & Engagement: Company and employee clubs at various locations.