Avionics Program Manager Jobs in New Jersey (NOW HIRING)

Job Title: Electronic Warfare, Systems Engineering Lead

Job Code: 42786

Job Location: Clifton, NJ

Job Schedule: 9/80- employees work 9 out of 14 days- totaling 80 hours worked- and have every other Friday off

Job Description:

The Chief Systems Engineer provides technical leadership for the architecture, development, integration, and validation of complex aerospace systems with emphasis in SWaP constrained EW payloads, avionics, system interfaces, flight controls, and system controls. This role is responsible for ensuring system solutions meet customer requirements, mission objectives, safety expectations, and program constraints across the full lifecycle. The Chief Systems Engineer leads cross-functional engineering execution, drives systems engineering rigor, and serves as the primary technical authority for system performance, integration, supplier technical oversight, and risk management.

Essential Functions:

• Serve as the technical authority for system architecture, EW Functions, avionics integration, system interfaces, flight controls, and system controls.
• Lead development, decomposition, allocation, and management of system requirements across hardware, software, avionics, interfaces, and control functions.
• Define and manage internal and external interfaces across avionics, sensors, effectors, communications, mission systems, propulsion, power, and command and control elements.
• Guide the development and integration of flight and system control functions, including stability, response, control logic, autonomy support, and closed-loop performance.
• Lead architecture assessments and trade studies addressing performance, safety, reliability, SWaP, producibility, cost, schedule, and lifecycle impacts.
• Ensure end-to-end traceability from customer needs through requirements, implementation, integration, verification, and validation.
• Direct system integration strategy and support execution through design, build, integration, test, qualification, and production transition.
• Provide strong technical oversight of suppliers and partners, including requirements flow-down, interface definition, design reviews, risk management, issue resolution, and acceptance of deliverables.
• Assess and manage technical risks related to avionics, interfaces, controls, software/hardware integration, supplier performance, and platform-level performance, including root cause and corrective action support.
• Lead major technical reviews and coordinate across engineering, supply chain, quality, program management, customers, and partners while mentoring teams and strengthening systems engineering best practices.

• Up to 10% travel, as required
• Secret Clearance required, with the ability to obtain higher levels

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field and minimum 9 years of prior relevant experience. Graduate Degree and a minimum of 7 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 13 years of prior related experience. 

Preferred Additional Skills:

• Active Top Secret Security Clearance
• Master's degree or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related discipline.
• Experience serving as a Lead Systems Engineer, Chief Engineer, or Chief Systems Engineer on aerospace development programs.
• Significant experience in systems engineering for aerospace or other highly integrated mission-critical systems.
• Experience with avionics systems, system interfaces, and flight and/or system controls.
• Experience providing technical oversight of suppliers, subcontractors, or external development partners.
• Strong understanding of requirements development, allocation, traceability, interface management, verification, and validation.
• Experience leading system architecture development, integration planning, and technical trade studies.
• Experience supporting or leading major technical program reviews.
• Strong leadership, communication, technical problem-solving, and supplier coordination skills.
• Experience with Electronic Warfare systems
• Experience managing supplier technical performance for avionics, control systems, mission systems, or other critical subsystem deliveries.
• Experience with flight control systems, vehicle management systems, avionics architectures, mission systems, or guidance/navigation/control integration.
• Experience developing and managing interface control documentation and cross-subsystem integration activities.
• Familiarity with model-based systems engineering, requirements management, simulation, and verification tools.
• Experience with qualification, flight test, certification, production transition, and lifecycle support.
• Experience briefing customers and executive leadership on technical performance, supplier execution, risk, and program status.

In compliance with pay transparency requirements, the salary range for this role in New Jersey is $127,500 - $236,000. This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience and geographic location. L3Harris also offers a variety of benefits, including health and disability insurance, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, EAP, education assistance, parental leave, paid time off, and company-paid holidays. The specific programs and options available to an employee may vary depending on date of hire, schedule type, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.

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