Role
Sorian Aerospace is building autonomous supersonic aircraft for advanced training and test. Sandman is an unmanned supersonic trainer. Unforgiven is a fighter-class advanced trainer designed for piloted and unmanned operation. Both aircraft share a common foundation across autonomy, avionics, flight controls, and aircraft systems.
As Lead Avionics Engineer, you’ll own the shared avionics and mission-systems foundation across both aircraft. You’ll lead the architecture and integration of flight-critical compute, communications, navigation, sensing, power, and data systems that allow the aircraft to fly, understand their environment, and work with pilots and other aircraft.
This is a hands-on technical leadership role. You’ll work closely with flight controls, autonomy, propulsion, structures, test, and manufacturing while building the avionics team around you.
Responsibilities
- Own the aircraft-level avionics architecture across compute, communications, navigation, sensing, power, and aircraft interfaces
- Develop advanced sensor and antenna systems for situational awareness
- Build secure air-to-air, air-to-ground, and satellite communication capabilities
- Define how flight and mission data is collected, processed, stored, and presented
- Build telemetry, diagnostics, ground systems, and flight-test instrumentation
- Support piloted and unmanned operation, including manned-unmanned interoperability
- Create hardware-in-the-loop environments and verification methods for flight-critical systems
- Own avionics integration, testing, fault management, and system-level validation
- Hire and lead a small team of engineers across avionics hardware and software
Requirements
- 5–10 years of experience in avionics, embedded systems, or flight control development
- Hands-on experience with aircraft wiring, flight computers, and I/O integration
- Proficiency in embedded C/C++ or real-time Linux development environments
- Familiarity with CAN, ARINC 429/664, Ethernet, RS-232/422, and other aircraft buses
- Understanding of RF systems, sensor fusion, and real-time data acquisition pipelines
- Experience integrating and validating systems in hardware-in-the-loop or flight environments
- U.S. citizenship or permanent residency required
Results
- Build a reliable, testable avionics foundation shared across both aircraft programs
- Support piloted, autonomous, and manned-unmanned operations
- Create clear interfaces, verification methods, and engineering standards that scale with the company
- Build a small avionics organization known for technical depth, speed, and ownership
Availability
Full-time, based in Long Beach, CA
Some evenings and weekends may be required during integration and test events
Compensation Range
$250,000–$300,000 base salary
- generous equity
- complete healthcare benefits for you and your dependents
Company Core Values
We run it hotter. We run it faster.
We don’t outsource thinking - we design, build, and test in-house.
We value engineers who take ownership, solve hard problems, and ship working systems.
To apply: Email your resume and a short write-up on the most complex avionics system you’ve built - what it controlled, how you approached it, and what you’d do better next time - to avionics@sorianaero.com or click the “Apply Now” button below.