Lead Electrical Engineer

Lead Electrical Engineer – Aircraft Systems Integration | Aerospace & Defense | Waco, TX

Lead Electrical Engineer – Aircraft Systems Integration

📍 Waco, Texas (100% Onsite)
💰 $150,000 - $170,000 Base Salary
🚚 Relocation Assistance Available
🕒 9/80 Schedule – Every Other Friday Off
✈️ Aerospace, Defense & Aircraft Modification Programs

Design the Systems That Power Mission-Critical Aircraft

An industry-leading aerospace and defense organization is seeking a Lead Electrical Engineer to support advanced aircraft modification and systems integration programs.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced electrical engineer who enjoys hands-on engineering, solving complex integration challenges, and seeing their designs deployed on real-world aircraft platforms.

You'll play a key role in the design, integration, testing, and verification of aircraft electrical systems, supporting major avionics upgrades, mission system integrations, power distribution systems, and aircraft modernization initiatives.

Whether your experience comes from aerospace, transportation, automotive, military vehicles, rail, heavy equipment, industrial controls, or other complex electrical systems environments, this role offers the chance to apply your expertise to some of the most advanced airborne platforms in operation today.

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

This isn't a desk-only design role.

You'll be involved throughout the full engineering lifecycle—from requirements and design through integration, troubleshooting, aircraft testing, and operational deployment.

You'll work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams while gaining direct exposure to aircraft systems, advanced avionics technologies, and mission-critical defense programs.

Highlights include:

  • Work directly on operational aircraft platforms

  • Lead complex electrical integration and modification projects

  • Design and validate aircraft power and signal interfaces

  • Participate in lab testing and aircraft testing activities

  • Influence technical solutions and engineering decisions

  • Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership

  • Outstanding long-term growth opportunities within aerospace and defense

What You'll Be Doing

Aircraft Electrical Systems Design

  • Design and develop electrical integration solutions for aircraft modification programs

  • Support avionics upgrades and aircraft systems modernization initiatives

  • Develop electrical interface designs and power distribution solutions

  • Apply electrical requirements and design standards to complex integration efforts

  • Generate professional engineering drawings, documentation, and technical reports

Systems Integration & Verification

  • Support integration of electrical, avionics, and mission systems

  • Evaluate wiring architectures, signal interfaces, and power requirements

  • Verify electrical interfaces and system compatibility

  • Troubleshoot integration issues and identify root causes

  • Support hardware installation and aircraft modification activities

Testing & Validation

  • Develop electrical test plans and verification procedures

  • Conduct testing in laboratory and aircraft environments

  • Analyze test results and resolve technical issues

  • Support qualification, acceptance, and operational testing activities

  • Ensure systems meet performance and customer requirements

Technical Leadership

  • Serve as a technical leader within the Electrical Engineering team

  • Support project planning, budget tracking, and schedule management

  • Mentor and develop junior engineers

  • Coordinate activities across engineering disciplines

  • Drive technical excellence and engineering best practices

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline

AND

  • Minimum 9 years of relevant engineering experience

OR

  • Master's Degree with 7+ years of relevant experience

OR

  • 13+ years of relevant experience in lieu of degree

Required Technical Experience

  • Electrical systems integration

  • Wiring and signal interface design

  • Electrical design for complex systems

  • Troubleshooting and verification testing

  • Interface control and systems integration activities

  • Experience with at least one electrical CAD platform

CAD Tool Experience

Experience with one or more of the following:

  • Visual Engineer

  • AutoCAD Electrical

  • Capital Harness

  • Similar electrical design and harness development tools

Highly Preferred Experience

Wire Harness & Interconnect Design

Candidates with experience in:

  • Wire harness design

  • Electrical routing

  • Connector selection

  • Signal integrity

  • Power distribution systems

  • Interface design

will be especially attractive.

Industry-specific aerospace experience is not required. Candidates from other complex engineering environments with strong electrical integration backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Aerospace & Military Standards

Exposure to any of the following is beneficial:

  • SAE AS50881

  • MIL-STD-704

  • MIL-E-7016

  • SAE ARP4754

  • MIL-STD-461

  • MIL-STD-810

  • MIL-STD-882

  • MIL-HDBK-516

Additional Preferred Experience

  • Aircraft systems integration

  • Avionics upgrades

  • Military aircraft modification programs

  • Power distribution systems

  • Digital and analog signal interfaces

  • System troubleshooting and root cause analysis

  • Engineering leadership or task leadership experience

Technical Knowledge Areas

The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of:

  • Digital and analog signal interfaces

  • Voltage drop considerations

  • Timing requirements

  • Data communications and handshaking protocols

  • Electrical power distribution

  • System-level integration challenges

  • Verification and validation processes

Work Environment

This role combines office, laboratory, and aircraft environments.

Candidates should be comfortable:

  • Working directly on aircraft

  • Operating in aircraft hangars

  • Climbing into and around aircraft

  • Supporting installation and test activities

  • Working in confined areas when necessary

  • Participating in hands-on troubleshooting efforts

Security Requirements

Candidates must:

  • Be U.S. Citizens

  • Be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of Defense Security Clearance

Preferred

  • Active DoD Secret Clearance

Travel & Schedule

✈️ Less than 10% travel

🕒 9/80 Schedule

Enjoy every other Friday off while supporting exciting aerospace programs.

Occasional overtime may be required based on program schedules and testing activities.

Compensation & Benefits

💰 Base Salary: $150,000 - $170,000

Additional benefits include:

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

  • Retirement savings plans

  • Paid time off and company holidays

  • Relocation assistance for qualified candidates

  • Interview travel reimbursement

  • Professional development opportunities

  • Long-term career advancement within a growing aerospace organization

Why Join?

This is a unique opportunity to work on highly visible aircraft modernization and systems integration programs where your engineering expertise will directly influence the performance, reliability, and capability of mission-critical aircraft.

You'll join a team that values technical excellence, innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning while offering exposure to cutting-edge aerospace technologies and complex engineering challenges.

If you're an experienced Electrical Engineer with strong systems integration and wire harness design experience looking for your next career-defining opportunity, we'd love to hear from you.

 

Lead Electrical Engineer (Defense Electronics) – Cincinnati, OH

Lead Electrical Engineer (Defense & Aerospace Electronics)

📍 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
🕒 Schedule: 4/10 Work Week (Four 10-Hour Days)
💼 Employment Type: Full-Time
💰 Base Salary: $142,000 – $161,000
🚚 Relocation Assistance: Available for Ideal Candidates
✈️ Travel: Occasional
🔒 Security Clearance: Must be Eligible to Obtain Secret Clearance
🚫 Visa Sponsorship: Not Available

Overview

A leading defense and aerospace organization is seeking a Lead Electrical Engineer to support the design and development of ruggedized electronic systems for advanced ordnance and mission-critical applications.

This role combines hands-on electrical design with technical leadership responsibilities, including product development, testing, root cause investigations, customer interaction, proposal support, and mentoring engineering teams. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in analog and digital circuit design, power electronics, testing, and product lifecycle development within highly regulated environments.

Key Responsibilities

Electrical Design & Development

  • Design analog and digital electronics for ruggedized defense applications.

  • Perform circuit analysis, simulations, and tolerance studies using SPICE and engineering calculations.

  • Develop and refine technical requirements and ensure compliance.

  • Generate schematics, engineering documentation, and change proposals.

  • Support product development from concept through qualification and production.

Testing & Validation

  • Develop test plans and test reports for:

    • Design Verification

    • Qualification Testing

    • Product Performance Testing

    • Firing Properties Testing

  • Lead testing activities throughout the product lifecycle.

  • Troubleshoot hardware using oscilloscopes, function generators, meters, and lab equipment.

Technical Leadership

  • Lead design reviews throughout all development phases.

  • Serve as primary technical interface for internal and external customers.

  • Lead root cause investigations using structured methodologies:

    • 8D

    • Fishbone Analysis

    • Cause & Effect Analysis

  • Provide technical input for proposals, labor estimates, and project planning.

  • Mentor and develop junior electrical engineers.

  • Manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Required Qualifications

Education

  • Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.

Experience

  • 9+ years of relevant electrical engineering experience.

  • 5+ years designing analog circuits including:

    • Operational Amplifiers

    • Differential Amplifiers

    • Filters

    • LDOs

    • Data Converters

  • 5+ years designing digital circuits including:

    • Logic Gates

    • Flip-Flops

    • Timers

    • Digital Filters

  • 4+ years working with power conversion systems:

    • AC/DC

    • DC/DC

    • DC/AC

    • Linear & Switching Power Supplies

  • 5+ years troubleshooting electronic systems using laboratory equipment.

  • 4+ years using schematic capture and PCB design tools such as:

    • Altium

    • PADS

  • 4+ years leading technical projects from concept through completion.

  • 4+ years creating engineering documentation and participating in design reviews.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience with:

    • MEMS Accelerometers

    • Temperature Sensors

    • Pressure Sensors

    • Gyroscopes

  • Serial communication protocols:

    • UART

    • SPI

    • I2C

  • Root Cause Analysis methodologies.

  • EMI, ESD, and protection circuit design.

  • Power conditioning and power supply design.

  • Design for extreme environments:

    • Shock

    • Vibration

    • Temperature

    • Humidity

  • Experience with Electronic Safety & Arming Devices (ESADs).

  • Experience working to MIL-STD-1316 and MIL-STD-1901A standards.

  • Experience presenting designs to military safety review boards.

  • Energetic materials testing and integration experience.

Key Skills

✔ Analog Circuit Design
✔ Digital Circuit Design
✔ Power Electronics
✔ PCB Design (Altium, PADS)
✔ SPICE Simulation
✔ Root Cause Analysis
✔ Test & Validation Engineering
✔ Technical Leadership
✔ Requirements Development
✔ Defense Electronics

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a senior electrical engineer with experience designing ruggedized electronics for aerospace, defense, ordnance, or other high-reliability applications. They should possess strong technical leadership skills, experience leading development programs, and the ability to guide projects from concept through qualification and production.

Candidate Snapshot

Requirement

Details

Experience

9+ Years

Seniority

Mid-Senior

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Industry

Aerospace / Defense

Leadership

Technical Lead

Security Clearance

Eligible for Secret Clearance

Travel

Occasional

Relocation

Available

Why Consider This Opportunity?

  • Four-day work week (4/10 schedule).

  • Lead cutting-edge defense and aerospace electronics programs.

  • High visibility technical leadership role.

  • Opportunity to mentor engineers and influence product strategy.

  • Work on mission-critical systems supporting national defense applications.