Head of Avionics

Swarm Aero•Oxnard, CA

About The Position

Swarm Aero is redefining air power by building the largest swarming UAV and the most versatile swarming aircraft network globally. The company is rapidly progressing towards launching its first aircraft specifically designed for swarming, alongside Command & Control software to manage swarms of thousands of diverse autonomous assets. This technology aims to empower human operators to achieve unprecedented results. The team comprises experienced entrepreneurs with a track record of multiple startup exits, significant defense deal negotiations, and the design and construction of over 30 novel aircraft, drawing aerospace expertise from prominent companies like Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic. This role is for a Head of Avionics who has hands-on experience in building complex avionics systems, not just managing programs. The individual will be responsible for the entire avionics stack, including hardware architecture, embedded systems, sensing, networking, autonomy integration, and the necessary test infrastructure. This is a leadership position requiring both technical direction and deep involvement in the details, suitable for someone who thrives in a zero-to-one environment and wants to define the architecture of advanced autonomous aircraft systems.

Requirements

10+ years in embedded systems, avionics, or closely related fields
You've architected and shipped a real avionics or embedded system, not just contributed to one
Deep fluency in embedded hardware constraints, toolchains, and design tradeoffs
Strong instincts around high-assurance systems and what it takes to make them certifiable
Clear communicator across disciplines, you can talk to a mechanical engineer and a software architect in the same afternoon and be useful to both

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with a major microcontroller or microprocessor family, not just familiarity
Background in robotics, autonomous systems, or aerial platforms
Experience with reverse-engineering, network routing, MOSA components, or hardware security modules
You've operated in a fast-moving startup environment and know how to make good decisions with incomplete information

Responsibilities

Architect the full avionics stack for large uncrewed aircraft, from hardware selection through system integration
Design and build embedded systems across real-time and non-real-time environments, both airborne and ground-side
Drive development of autonomy, novel sensing, and networking capabilities that enable swarm-scale operations
Build and own the hardware and software-in-the-loop test infrastructure for avionics validation
Be the technical authority on avionics across the company, setting standards, catching problems early, and making calls