Lead Firmware Engineer

Acron Aviation • Grand Rapids, MI

2d

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Firmware Engineer and DO-254 Complex Electronic Hardware expert to join the Surveillance hardware product development team. In this role, you will design, develop, verify, and maintain safety-critical firmware for avionics and embedded systems that support TCAS and transponder applications, in compliance with DO-254 standards. You will work closely with hardware engineers, system architects, and certification authorities to ensure disciplined design assurance processes are applied throughout the product lifecycle.

You will collaborate across multidisciplinary teams, including mechanical, electrical (digital/analog), RF, firmware, and software engineering, to plan, design, prototype, and test avionics systems. This role also includes mentoring junior engineers and reinforcing best practices across the Surveillance product line. The work supports commercial air transport, general aviation, and emerging platforms such as Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and eVTOL aircraft.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering with a minimum of 9 years of relevant experience, or a graduate degree with a minimum of 7 years of related experience
• Minimum 6 years of experience applying systems engineering principles, including requirements definition, verification, design reviews, integration, and test
• Minimum 7 years of experience in FPGA and firmware design
• Hands-on experience designing and developing avionics, RF, or sensor-based systems

Nice To Haves

• Experience with aerospace systems, particularly integrated hardware/software product development
• Exposure to Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
• Awareness of electrical design considerations impacting firmware and FPGA development
• Experience with RTOS integration and understanding of hardware implications
• Practical understanding of RF design, particularly in the L-band frequency range and FPGA applications
• Strong interpersonal skills with experience leading and collaborating in multidisciplinary engineering teams
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills
• Knowledge of aerospace standards such as DO-160 and DO-178
• Experience with design-to-cost and design-for-manufacturability principles
• Experience supporting production and test in geographically distributed environments
• Proven ability to manage multiple programs and priorities simultaneously
• Ability to operate independently and determine appropriate technical paths forward with minimal oversight
• Pilot license or Part 107 certification (a plus)

Responsibilities

• Develop firmware using Xilinx and Microchip FPGAs and associated toolchains (ISE, Vivado, Libero)
• Utilize simulation tools such as Active-HDL and QuestaSim for design verification
• Design and implement RTL using VHDL and/or Verilog
• Apply DO-254 airborne electronic hardware development lifecycle processes
• Perform requirements-based verification of firmware designs
• Generate design documentation including HRDs, HDDs, HCIAs, and certification artifacts such as PHACs
• Participate in proposal activities including task estimation, risk identification, and development planning
• Communicate effectively across technical and cross-functional teams
• Interface directly with customers, in person or virtually, to understand requirements and develop solutions
• Mentor junior engineers and promote engineering best practices
• Perform other duties as assigned
• Travel up to 10% as required

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior