Electrical Systems Architect, Flight Research

Company Overview

Joby Flight Research designs, develops, and flight-tests novel aircraft using a software-first autonomy approach. We build and deploy autonomy, perception, planning, and radar systems across conventional, electric, and hydrogen-electric aircraft in both CTOL and VTOL configurations.

Overview

The Electrical Systems Architect owns the high-level design for new aircraft programs. We are looking for a strategic thinker who can guide avionics and communications systems from concept to production. Using a first-principles approach, you will balance electrical and mechanical tradeoffs while aligning technical decisions with company strategy and emerging technologies.

In this role, you will collaborate with engineers and subject matter experts focusing on electronics, wiring, systems, autonomy, perception, propulsion, payloads and mission requirements. The ideal candidate will balance make/buy decisions based on development phase and keep roadmaps in mind, while optimizing for mass, cost, and exceeding reliability requirements. A background in electrical engineering will allow a strong candidate to understand tradeoffs at the design level, and suggest or kick off new design projects in collaboration with the electrical engineering team.

Responsibilities

• Make architectural decisions about avionics and electronics topology in new aircraft
• Determine make/buy decisions, accounting for timeline, resources, and project maturity
• Organize and document trade-studies for equipment and architectural decisions
• Collaborate with wiring designers to optimize architectural designs around wire harness complexity and mass
• Choose redundancy and fail-safe/fail-operational choices based on mission and product requirements
• Develops and maintains system block diagrams and high-level wiring diagrams
• Communicates updates and changes to architecture to relevant stakeholders
• Collaborate with systems engineers on requirement generation and decomposition
• Interface with external suppliers for custom electronics designs
• Kick-start new electronics projects to prototype stage

Required

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, or similar
• 5+ years of experience with complex electronic vehicle (ground, water, or airborne) systems
• Great communication skills; able to explain and document architectural decisions, and why they were made
• Comfortable making decisions with incomplete information
• Experience working with cross-functional teams, including software and mechanical engineering
• Able to make the right decisions to balance project velocity, project success, budget, and resources
• This position must meet US export control compliance requirements, therefore a candidate must qualify as a “US Person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15. “US Person” includes US Citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees.

Desired

• Advanced (Masters+) degree in a relevant field
• Experience with:
• Electric transportation or energy storage
• Hydrogen Fuel Cells
• High-Altitude Avionics
• Electrical Schematics and Layout
• Wire Harness Design
• Passion for flying and experimental aviation

Additional Information

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $156,700 - $259,900/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.

Joby is an Equal Opportunity Employer