Principal Avionics Systems Engineer

Blue Canyon Technologies, RTX's small satellite manufacturer and mission services provider, is solving some of the toughest challenges in space. Our components and bus platforms have completed missions ranging from very-low Earth orbits to lunar and interplanetary journeys at a fraction of the cost of traditional space systems. We support premier defense, commercial and civil organizations including the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA, MIT Lincoln Lab, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Colorado and more. Join our innovative and dynamic company as we build, test and operate the small spacecraft of the future

Position Purpose: The Principal Avionics Systems Engineer will aide in supporting the Avionics product line. This engineer will be working in a team environment, with frequent opportunities for customer engagement, new business development, product area development, system analysis, and detailed design, analysis, integration and test, plus orbit operations. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing the development, integration, and production of our avionics and power systems. This role combines strategic systems engineering with hands-on production management, requiring strong technical expertise and excellent leadership skills.

Title: Principal Avionics Systems Engineer

Position Type: Full Time

Pay Range: $108,000 - $220,000 (Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.)

Location: Lafayette, CO

Benefits:

• 100% company paid health, dental and vision benefits for you and your dependents effective the first of the month following hire date
• Life insurance
• 401k (matching 4% with a minimum 5% contribution)
• Generous PTO (3 weeks of vacation 3 floating holidays, 2 weeks of sick time, 7 paid holidays throughout the year and parental leave).

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead the systems engineering and production teams to ensure the successful development, integration, and production of avionics and power systems.
• Oversee the entire production lifecycle, from initial design to final implementation and testing.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including R&D, quality assurance, and supply chain, to ensure seamless project execution.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards, regulations, and safety requirements.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to team members.
• Identify and mitigate risks throughout the production process.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance product performance and reduce costs.
• Develop test methods and plans for new developments.
• Design ground test equipment and configure flight hardware.
• Author and manage system and product designs
• Perform requirements management, technical risk management, interface definition and control
• Lead customer meetings and facilitate technical exchanges with customers from the proposal phase, through production, and on-orbit support.
• Effectively work with and communicate with all levels of management and team member
• contributors on the program.
• Provide technical leadership across multiple product lines.
• Author and manage system requirements and verification techniques; allocate driving requirements (both cost and technical), support program trades and requirements negotiations.
• Develop/support development of simulations and perform analysis across vehicle functions.
• Provide input to new technology developments and required modeling changes.
• Develop verification plans for new/modified designs.
• Lead the development of interface specifications, CONOPS definitions, and other design documents, in collaboration with multidisciplinary team.
• Lead customer meetings and facilitate technical exchanges with customers, working closely with customers to help define their needs and provide competitive solutions
• Lead the engineering aspect of proposal activities and facilitate technical exchanges with the engineering team; develop competitive solutions for the customer
• Identify and execute key trades (both cost and technical)

Required Qualifications/Education:

• At least 12 years of relevant experience. A master’s degree counts as 2 years of experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Engineering, System, or Computer science discipline
• Experience with all phases of the aerospace engineering life cycle (business development, customer solutions, requirements flow-down, manufacturing, integration and test, and on- orbit support)
• Demonstrated responsibility for Space hardware missions for Commercial, Defense, Restricted, or NASA satellites.
• System design experience, balancing performance, cost, power, emerging technologies, etc.
• Ability to perform trade studies and parametric analyses
• Evaluation of existing and emerging technologies
• Ability to develop procurement documents (specification, SOW) and manage subcontracts
• Ability to conceive and develop configurable products across a diverse set of customer needs
• Ability to establish innovative, balanced technical and cost solutions
• Work closely with customer to help define their needs and provide competitive solutions
•  Develop winning competitive solutions for the customer
• Execute flight programs that meet technical and cost obligations
• Work closely with other contractors/teammates in meeting customer and business needs
• Collaborate closely with other technical program leads and diverse domain expertise
• Allocate driving requirements (both cost and technical)
• Allocate key trades (both cost and technical)
• Good documentation and communication skills
• Ensure all business is conducted using the highest ethical standards and in compliance with all applicable laws, statutes, and regulations as well as company policies and directives
• Experience as a Spacecraft Systems Engineer or subsystem engineer
• Strong systems engineering and technical management skills and demonstrated ability to grow new business opportunities and execute demanding flight programs
• Ability to work rapidly with minimal supervision on projects involving both small and large engineering teams
• Previous experience and skills in project definition, simulation, implementation, lab integration and test
• Must be able to work in a highly collaborative, fast-paced environment with emphasis in rapid prototyping and fielding of capabilities
• Related technical experience may be considered in lieu of education

Working Conditions:

This job operates in a professional office environment, but in a manufacturing company. This role uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, scanners, filing cabinets and fax machines.  BCT anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require BCT to shorten or extend the application window.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for long periods of time.  The employee is occasionally required to stand, bend, reach, and walk. The position requires some light physical effort. This would require the ability to lift or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift or move objects up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities are required by this job which includes close vision, distance vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Blue Canyon Technologies is a drug-free workplace and an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected factor. Colorado Residents:  In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation.  You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.  Blue Canyon Technologies is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Melissa Po at HR@bluecanyontech.com.

Salary : $108,000 - $220,000