Aviation Systems Engineer, Senior

Join a Company Where You Can Make a Real Impact – and Own a Piece of the Future

Are you energized by the idea of helping a company grow smarter, serve our customers better, and connect more deeply? Do you thrive in an environment where your ideas matter, your voice is heard, and your work drives real results? If so, we’d love to meet you.

We’re a mid-sized, employee-owned company on a mission to create meaningful value for both our employees and our customers. That means we’re not just looking for someone to fill a seat — we’re looking for someone who wants to build, innovate, and evolve with us.

Our company primarily serves the Navy and other Department of Defense clients, offering a dynamic environment where your expertise will make a difference.

About the Role

AVIAN is seeking a Senior Aviation Systems Engineer to support advanced research and development efforts at NAS Patuxent River. The selected candidate will provide systems engineering leadership across avionics, sensor tracking, data fusion, and fire control initiatives supporting next-generation aviation capabilities.

This role supports the full lifecycle of advanced capability development including requirements definition, system design, integration, test, and transition to acquisition programs. The candidate will work closely with government leadership, operational stakeholders, and contractor teams to execute technically complex and schedule-driven efforts.

Responsibilities

• Support execution of advanced development R&D programs for aviation systems and sensor capabilities
• Collaborate with stakeholders to define capability gaps and derive system requirements
• Develop project task descriptions, technical specifications, integrated roadmaps, and schedules
• Serve as avionics/sensor systems engineering focal point across program execution activities
• Support technical reviews, data analysis, and preparation of technical reports
• Monitor and report technical progress, risks, and execution status
• Support development of acquisition and technical documentation
• Analyze contractor proposals in accordance with applicable regulations
• Develop, execute, and track multiple assigned project task efforts
• Analyze test data and provide technical assessments and recommendations
• Coordinate between government project leads, contractor engineers, and operational stakeholders
• Support risk management, issue resolution, and technical decision-making
• Provide insight into project execution effectiveness and recommend process improvements
• Assist with out-year planning and development of technical capability roadmaps
• Support integration, risk reduction, and development of advanced aviation capabilities

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field
• Education requirement cannot be substituted with experience

Experience

Minimum 10 years of experience in:

• Avionics Systems Engineering and/or Sensor Systems Engineering
• Aviation systems engineering processes
• Requirements development and technical execution

Desired Qualifications

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Experience with Microsoft Project or similar scheduling tools
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Experience coordinating across multiple organizations and stakeholders
• Experience working in dynamic, schedule-driven environments
• Experience supporting complex security environments
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Department of Defense security clearance.
• Due to the sensitivity of customer-related requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Salary range: $150,000 - $180,000 (The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or experience and in consideration of internal parity.) 

About being a part of Team AVIAN

As an employee-owner, you’ll be a catalyst for progress — helping us find new opportunities with current or new customers, company efficiencies, streamline processes, and bring people and ideas together in smarter ways. Whether it’s helping us optimize workflows, enhancing the employee experience, or delivering more impactful solutions to our customers, your inputs will have reach and relevance across the organization.

Taking care of each other is a cornerstone of our AVIAN philosophy. Being part of the AVIAN team means being part of a team that takes pride in being expansive in our community because our impact doesn’t stop in the workplace. We actively engage in community initiatives, empowering our employees to make a meaningful difference.

You’ll Succeed Here If You...

• See opportunities where others see routine
• Are curious, collaborative, and passionate about making things better
• Enjoy connecting dots across teams, tools, and tasks
• Believe in doing the right thing the right way — even when no one’s watching
• Play an active role in our growth, using your ideas and initiative to shape how we work, serve, and succeed together
• Embrace a “one team” mindset knowing we are stronger together through trust, transparency and teamwork.
• Understand the power of ownership — and are excited to be part of an employee-owned culture

Why Join Us?

• Employee Ownership: We’re not just building a company — we’re building a legacy. As an employee-owner, you’ll share in our success and have a direct stake in our future.
• Real Growth: We’re expanding, evolving, and exploring new ways to serve. Your contributions will shape our direction and help us grow stronger.
• Purpose-Driven Work: Every improvement you help make is one that adds value — not just for us, but for the people and missions we support.
• Culture of Collaboration: We’re big enough to take on meaningful challenges, but small enough that everyone still knows your name.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package: Designed to support your health, financial security, and overall well-being, our health and wellness benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with telemedicine services and a TRICARE supplement for veterans.
• Flexible Leave Benefits: we prioritize a balanced, supportive environment that allows you to thrive both personally and professionally and offer flexible and paid time off, 11 paid holidays, paid sick leave, maternity and bonding leave, and military training leave.

AVIAN is a service-based organization. As an equal opportunity employer, our policy of business is to seek the most qualified candidate for each talent opportunity without regard to race, creed, color, sex, age, religious belief, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sexual preference, physical or mental handicap, lawful political affiliation or veteran’s status.