Principal Systems Engineer
Job Description
Job Title: Principal Systems Engineer
Location: Irving, Texas
Duration: Direct Hire
Salary: $140-$150K
Role Overview
We are partnering with a leading aerospace and avionics company to identify a highly experienced Principal Systems Engineer to drive complex system architecture and integration efforts.
This is a senior-level technical leadership role where you’ll guide engineering teams, define system requirements, and ensure alignment between customer needs and product strategy. You’ll play a key role across the full development lifecycle—from concept through verification, testing, and certification—in a highly regulated environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead system architecture for new avionics products and R&D initiatives
- Provide technical leadership on proposals, including cost and effort estimation
- Define, manage, and maintain clear, testable, and traceable system requirements
- Ensure requirements traceability throughout the development lifecycle
- Drive verification, validation, and regression testing strategies
- Develop and review qualification test documentation (DO-160, MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-810, RTCA, EUROCAE)
- Support environmental and performance testing, including lab setup
- Conduct trade studies and support selection of avionics components and systems
- Develop hardware requirements and interface control documents (ICDs)
- Partner closely with project management across hardware and software development
- Lead peer and milestone reviews (PDR, CDR, SDR)
- Develop system safety documentation aligned with ARP4754A and ARP4761
- Support customer-facing technical discussions and proposal efforts
- Identify risks and implement mitigation strategies (technical and schedule)
- Develop ground test plans and support aircraft integration
- Troubleshoot installation issues and support flight testing activities
- Analyze test data and communicate findings clearly
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field
- 12+ years of systems engineering experience in aerospace, avionics, or embedded systems
- Strong background in electronics development (hardware and/or software)
- Experience with analog, digital, and mixed-signal design, testing, and debugging
- Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and wiring diagrams
- Experience developing test procedures for avionics verification and qualification
- Familiarity with lab equipment (oscilloscope, DMM, logic analyzer, spectrum analyzer)
- Knowledge of aircraft systems and installation processes
- Experience with tools such as Python, MATLAB, Simulink, SPICE (or similar)
- Understanding of DO-178C and DO-254 processes for safety-critical systems
- Strong communication skills with the ability to mentor junior engineers
- Highly organized and collaborative
Meet Your Recruiter
Tracey McCotter
People Partnership Executive
People Partnership Executive with over 20 years of recruitment experience, specializing in full-cycle hiring across diverse industries. Partnered closely with hiring managers to understand role requirements, team dynamics, and organizational culture. Known for building strong relationships and maintaining a candidate-first approach. Deep expertise in IT, AI, Aerospace, Defense, and Engineering sectors.
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