Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)

LEAD ANALYST - LEAD ENGINEER - PRINCIPAL ENGINEER - AI & Machine Learning Intelligent Avionics

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) • $130K — $155K *
Oklahoma City, OK 73160In-Person
Aerospace & Defense
11 - 15 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master's in relevant engineering or technical field; graduate degrees in AI/ML preferred.
  • 12+ years of experience in advanced AI/ML, data science, or autonomy solutions.
  • Proven expertise in physics-informed machine learning and hybrid methods.
  • Expert-level Python and C/C++ development, experienced with ML frameworks such as PyTorch and TensorFlow.
  • Demonstrated aerospace/defense avionics experience integrating AI with mission systems and embedded electronics.

Responsibilities

  • Lead AI/ML research for aerospace mission systems and avionics.
  • Develop data-driven ML approaches for various applications like sensor fusion and anomaly detection.
  • Architect and prototype AI/ML algorithms for embedded hardware.
  • Provide senior technical leadership for integrating hardware/software into avionics systems.
  • Advance AI capabilities through strategy, customer engagement, and mentoring.

Benefits

  • Mentorship opportunities for professional growth.
  • Involvement in high-impact aerospace programs.
  • Access to cutting-edge technology and research.
  • Collaboration with multidisciplinary engineering teams.
  • Participation in technical reviews and customer demonstrations.
Full Job Description
Objectives of this Role:

  • Lead advanced AI/machine learning (ML) research and development for aerospace mission systems, embedded avionics, intelligent sensing, autonomy, and real-time edge computing across the Department's strategic avionics portfolio.
  • Develop physics-informed and data-driven ML approaches for sensor fusion, system identification, anomaly detection, prediction, decision support, and adaptive mission-system capabilities.
  • Architect, prototype, and transition AI/ML algorithms from research environments into deployable embedded hardware using C/C++, Python, heterogeneous processors, and real-time software frameworks.
  • Provide senior technical leadership for multidisciplinary integration of AI-enabled hardware/software into complex avionics systems, including laboratory, SIL/HIL, subsystem, and platform-level verification.
  • Advance Department AI capabilities through technical strategy, customer engagement, proposals, publications, technology demonstrations, mentoring, and transition of research into funded aerospace programs.


Daily and Monthly Responsibilities:

  • Design, implement, optimize, and validate AI/ML algorithms for embedded aerospace and avionics applications, including physics-informed ML, sensor fusion, inference, prediction, classification, and autonomy.
  • Develop production-quality Python and C/C++ software and deploy trained models to real-time embedded compute platforms; profile latency, memory, power, determinism, reliability, and mission performance.
  • Integrate AI algorithms with avionics hardware, sensors, communications, mission software, and test assets; develop and execute SIL/HIL experiments, data pipelines, verification methods, and performance assessments.
  • Collaborate with electrical, embedded software, systems, RF, mechanical, test, cybersecurity, and flight-domain engineers to solve complex AI integration, interface, timing, assurance, and qualification challenges.
  • Lead technical reviews, trade studies, experiments, customer demonstrations, proposals, white papers, and technical reports; mentor engineers and establish reusable AI/ML architectures, tools, and engineering practices.


Requirements:

  • Requires a Bachelors or a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Engineering Physics, Applied Mathematics, Data Science, or related engineering or technical degree field. Graduate degrees in AI or Machine Learning or a closely related discipline are strongly preferred.
  • 12+ years: Progressive engineering experience developing advanced AI/ML, data science, intelligent systems, or autonomy solutions, with demonstrated technical leadership and successful transition of algorithms into operational hardware/software.
  • 12+ years: Proven expertise in physics-informed machine learning, scientific ML, system identification, reduced-order modeling, estimation, optimization, uncertainty quantification, or hybrid physics/data-driven methods.
  • 12+ years: Expert-level Python and C/C++ development with hands-on experience using modern ML frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX, or equivalent, and deploying models to embedded CPU/GPU/FPGA or other edge-compute hardware.
  • 12+ years: Demonstrated aerospace/defense avionics experience integrating AI-enabled capabilities with sensors, mission systems, embedded electronics, real-time interfaces, SIL/HIL test environments, and verification/validation processes.
  • A valid/clear driver's license is required.


Special Requirements:

Applicant selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Applicant must be a U.S. citizen.

Job Locations: San Antonio, Texas Or Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

About Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is a non-profit research and development organization headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The institute was founded in 1947 and has since grown to employ over 3,000 people across multiple locations in the United States. SwRI provides research and development services to a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, and energy. The institute's research areas include automation and data systems, chemistry and chemical engineering, and space science and engineering. SwRI has a long history of working with government agencies, including NASA and the Department of Defense, as well as private companies.
Learn more about Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)
Size
3,000 employees
Industry
Aerospace & Defense
* Ladders Estimates

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