Avionic Systems Engineer II/III

Specter Aerospace•Boston, MA

8d•$114,000 - $162,000

About The Position

Specter Aerospace is seeking an Avionics Systems Engineer II/III to develop and integrate the avionics architecture for our supersonic and hypersonic flight vehicles, ensuring that power, control electronics, communications, sensors, and embedded computing function together as a cohesive flight system. A successful candidate will have prior experience defining system-level requirements and interfaces, integrating multi-disciplinary avionics subsystems, and supporting hardware bring-up and troubleshooting through test and flight operations. Specter Aerospace is building the next generation of hypersonic vehicles for U.S. Forces and Allies. With offices in Boston and Peabody, MA, Specter leverages its advanced propulsion technologies, manufacturing, and testing capabilities to rapidly develop supersonic and hypersonic systems. This open application will be reviewed for roles based in any/all of our offices. Funded by a mix of government R&D organizations and private funding, Specter is expanding its team in preparation for flight testing and full-scale production.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field
2+ years of relevant full-time experience (Level II) or 5+ years of relevant full-time experience (Level III) developing or integrating avionics or other high-reliability embedded electronic systems
Experience with avionics system architecture, power distribution, or communications interfaces
Familiarity with common aerospace interfaces and communication protocols (e.g., SPI, I²C, UART, CAN, Ethernet, RS-422/485, or similar)
Comfort with hardware integration, system-level debugging, and root cause analysis in laboratory or test environments
Familiarity with EMI/EMC, grounding, shielding, and electrical reliability considerations for aerospace systems
Available for up to 10% travel for relevant ground and flight test activities
Eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret security clearance (U.S. Citizenship required)
Ability to pass a pre-employment drug screen and background check

Nice To Haves

Active U.S. Secret clearance
Previous experience developing or integrating avionics for aerospace, defense, spacecraft, or other high-reliability applications
Experience with flight computers, telemetry, power distribution, or vehicle control electronics
Experience with schematic capture and PCB design; preference for Altium Designer
Familiarity with hardware-in-the-loop testing and avionics ground support equipment
Familiarity with relevant IPC, military, or environmental testing standards
Familiarity with Python, MATLAB, C, C++, or similar languages

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain avionics system architecture, including power distribution, communications, grounding, and subsystem interfaces
Support the integration of avionics subsystems, including flight computers, sensors, power electronics, control electronics, and instrumentation
Translate vehicle-level requirements into system-level requirements, interface definitions, and verification plans
Coordinate with electrical, mechanical, embedded software, GNC, and propulsion engineers to resolve system integration challenges
Contribute to system-level hardware integration, bring-up, debugging, and troubleshooting during development and vehicle assembly
Support design reviews and system-level trades to balance performance, reliability, manufacturability, and testability
Develop and execute integration and qualification test plans, and translate results into design improvements
Maintain system architecture, interface, and integration documentation
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to best practices in avionics system architecture and integration (Level III)