Principal Electrical Engineer The RoleAs our
Principal Electrical Engineer, you will lead the development, integration, and optimization of the electrical power systems that enable Electra's flagship nine-passenger EL9 aircraft. This is a high-impact technical leadership role responsible for the architecture, performance, safety, and certification readiness of the aircraft's electrical systems-including power distribution, energy storage, conversion, and protection.
You'll collaborate across propulsion, avionics, flight controls, and structures to ensure seamless system integration while driving engineering rigor, innovation, and reliability across the full aircraft lifecycle.
What You'll Do- Lead electrical system architecture - Own the design of aircraft electrical systems including generation, conversion, distribution, and energy storage
- Develop power budgets - Build and maintain power budgets, load cases, and trade studies to optimize efficiency and reliability
- Define system-level requirements - Establish electrical and power interface requirements, grounding strategies, EMI/EMC protections, and safety features
- Drive cross-functional integration - Partner with propulsion, avionics, flight controls, and structures to ensure compatibility and safe integration
- Develop and execute test plans - Lead validation, HIL setups, bench testing, and lab testing
- Evaluate suppliers and components - Qualify components and subsystems to meet compliance and reliability standards
- Produce certification-ready documentation - Generate schematics, wiring diagrams, ICDs, analysis reports, and certification deliverables
- Mentor engineering teams - Provide technical leadership and guidance to junior engineers
- Advance engineering processes - Contribute to continuous improvement in electrical systems engineering
- Stay current on hybrid-electric technologies - Track evolving FAA regulations, safety standards, and emerging technologies
What You'll Bring- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field; Master's preferred
- 10+ years of experience in aircraft electrical systems design, integration, and certification
- Strong understanding of 28 VDC aircraft power systems
- Experience with electrical load analysis, wire harness design, and system integration
- Proficiency with electrical modeling/simulation tools
- Familiarity with EWIS, EMI/EMC testing, and environmental qualification
- Experience with DO-254 / DO-178C processes
- Proficiency with electrical CAD tools (Mentor Capital preferred)
- Strong documentation skills across system descriptions, test plans, analysis reports, and certification artifacts
- Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
- Demonstrated ability to lead technical reviews and influence stakeholders
Preferred Qualifications- Experience leading electrical system development for FAA Part 23 aircraft
- Hands-on experience with commercial certification processes
- Background in hybrid-electric propulsion or advanced electrical architectures
- Supplier management experience
- Familiarity with redundant power systems, fail-safe design, and fault detection/isolation
- Experience with requirements management tools (e.g., JAMA) or system modeling tools (MATLAB/Simulink)
- Private pilot license a plus
What We Offer- Competitive salary and equity
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance; STD, LTD, and life insurance
- Generous PTO, sick leave, and company holidays
- Paid winter break
- 401(k) with immediate vesting
- Free catered lunches, coffee, snacks, and drinks at our Manassas headquarters
- Free on-site parking
Location & Travel- Location: Manassas, VA (on-site strongly preferred to support collaboration)
- Travel: Up to 10%
Compensation and BenefitsIn addition to offering an exciting work environment and the opportunity to be part of the team making Ultra Short flight a reality, at Electra, we offer an unparalleled total rewards package. Electra offers employees a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, STD, LTD, and life insurance, generous PTO and sick leave, company holidays, paid winter break, and a 401(k) plan with immediate vesting. Life at Electra includes a variety of perks, such as free catered lunches, amazing coffee, snacks, drinks, fruit, free parking, and opportunities for much more.
Working ConditionsWork is typically performed in a warehouse/aviation and office environment, which requires proper safety precautions. Work may require some physical effort in handling light materials, boxes, power tools, prototypes, and different materials or equipment. Due to the nature of our business and projects, some fieldwork may be required, working in both indoor and outdoor conditions. You may need to lift up to 50 lbs.
