Cooperative Airworthiness Systems Engineer

Overview

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

We are seeking a Cooperative AirworthinessSystems Engineer to support our team in Patuxent River, Maryland. This role is located within the Persistent Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office (PMA-262).

Responsibilities

Functional Description: Provide technical analyses and guidance in the areas of airborne platform and ground-based communication systems. Develop, technical assessments and recommendations, PowerPoint presentations, white papers and analysis reports in support of PMA communication capability priorities. Provide communications and networking systems technical support for the full system engineering life cycle, including requirements analysis, design, development, integration, test, and implementation.Research, propose and implement solutions to communications and networking systems problems of interest as derived from program requirements. Provide communications systems engineering support of various U/VHF radio communications systems, Common Data Link (CDL) systems, commercial/government satellite communications systems and networks. Ensures project schedules and performance requirements are met. Responsibilities include:

• Ability to review Engineering documents and assess against existing system safety hazards for applicability.
• Review the MQ-4C Triton Airworthiness documentation to include test procedures, test results, analysis and assess against Commonwealth of Australia requirements, including support to Initial Flight Clearance (IFC) reviews and airworthiness certification activities.
• Support the PMA 262 International and Engineering teams.
• Serve as a technical liaison between the Australian and USN airworthiness teams.
• Assist in the development of the Australian Unmanned Aerial System Standard Operating Permit (UASOP).
• Review and monitor development of relevant engineering documentation and artifacts, including tracking and supporting data captured within Automated Inspection Reporting Systems (AIRS) for compliance and inspection reporting.
• Track engineering critical path inputs to the project and program integrated government schedule (IGS)
• Facilitate meetings, respond the Requests for Information (RFI), and track schedules
• Apply decision analysis techniques to ensure that the engineering approach is cost effective and satisfies the training objectives.
• Monitor and participate in the configuration management of the system as an advocate for the cooperative partner.
• Maintain knowledge of disclosure parameters and related DoN Guidance to assist with release of technical data to cooperative partners.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Education: Master's degree or allowable substitutions. Allowable substitutions for the Master’s degree include a Bachelor's degree plus 12 years of experience.
• Experience:Minimum of ten years of experience performing duties described in the functional description.
• 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: $135,000 - $165,000 (The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or experience and in consideration of internal parity.)

Desired additional Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in an Engineering field
• At least 3 years of experience in Systems Engineering supporting DoD aircraft or weapons systems, consisting of the design, development, integration and system testing of computer hardware, computer software, and navigation, sensor, and communication subsystems
• Demonstrated experience in NAVAIR Systems Engineering Process and Airworthiness
• Knowledge of system engineering principles, theories, and concepts and ability to contribute to the development of new and innovative principles and concepts
• Demonstrated knowledge of a wide range of non-engineering, non-scientific information in the form of federal Acquisition Regulations, Military Standards, Department of the Navy (DON)/DOD/NAVAIR policies, directives and instructions and ability to determine the applicability of these documents to assignments.
• Ability to work and coordinate with a variety of professional personnel associated with the assigned duties.
• Experience with Navy Unmanned Aviation platforms desired.

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.

Functional Description: Provide technical analyses and guidance in the areas of airborne platform and ground-based communication systems. Develop, technical assessments and recommendations, PowerPoint presentations, white papers and analysis reports in support of PMA communication capability priorities. Provide communications and networking systems technical support for the full system engineering life cycle, including requirements analysis, design, development, integration, test, and implementation.Research, propose and implement solutions to communications and networking systems problems of interest as derived from program requirements. Provide communications systems engineering support of various U/VHF radio communications systems, Common Data Link (CDL) systems, commercial/government satellite communications systems and networks. Ensures project schedules and performance requirements are met. Responsibilities include: - Ability to review Engineering documents and assess against existing system safety hazards for applicability. - Review the MQ-4C Triton Airworthiness documentation to include test procedures, test results, analysis and assess against Commonwealth of Australia requirements, including support to Initial Flight Clearance (IFC) reviews and airworthiness certification activities. - Support the PMA 262 International and Engineering teams. - Serve as a technical liaison between the Australian and USN airworthiness teams. - Assist in the development of the Australian Unmanned Aerial System Standard Operating Permit (UASOP). - Review and monitor development of relevant engineering documentation and artifacts, including tracking and supporting data captured within Automated Inspection Reporting Systems (AIRS) for compliance and inspection reporting. - Track engineering critical path inputs to the project and program integrated government schedule (IGS) - Facilitate meetings, respond the Requests for Information (RFI), and track schedules - Apply decision analysis techniques to ensure that the engineering approach is cost effective and satisfies the training objectives. - Monitor and participate in the configuration management of the system as an advocate for the cooperative partner. - Maintain knowledge of disclosure parameters and related DoN Guidance to assist with release of technical data to cooperative partners.