Software Engineering Functional Lead

Full Time Reg

Phoenix, AZ, US

Onsite Requirement:

This role is based 100% onsite in Phoenix, Arizona . Regular, full‑time in‑office presence is required. Remote or hybrid work is not available for this position.

About Acron Aviation (Avionics – Surveillance):

Acron Aviation designs, engineers, and manufactures certified avionics systems that support safety‑critical flight operations across commercial and military aviation. Within Avionics, the Surveillance product line develops and sustains systems that enable aircraft awareness, collision avoidance, and airspace interoperability. Our Surveillance portfolio includes ADS‑B, Mode S transponders, traffic collision avoidance systems, and integrated surveillance solutions deployed across commercial, military, and rotorcraft platforms. This work is performed in highly regulated environments and requires deep expertise across systems, hardware, software, and RF throughout the full product lifecycle—from requirements and certification through production and in‑service support.

Job Title

Software Engineering Functional Lead

Position Summary

The Software Engineering Functional Lead is a dual‑role position combining front‑line people leadership with hands‑on technical leadership within the Surveillance product line. This role leads and develops a team of avionics software engineers while also serving as a technical lead contributing directly to engineering development projects.

The Functional Lead is the primary interface to engineering project leadership and program management and collaborates closely with systems, electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing engineering teams. This role owns the technical execution and quality of assigned software deliverables while partnering with Project Leads to ensure alignment across schedule, integration, and cross‑functional execution for surveillance, transponder, RF, and sensor‑based avionics systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate software engineering execution for Surveillance development programs in a dynamic, regulated environment

• Provide front‑line people leadership, including coaching, mentoring, and performance support for software engineers

• Partner with Product Owners, Project Leads, and Systems Engineering to manage priorities, dependencies, and delivery commitments

• Actively identify and remove execution impediments to drive predictable delivery aligned with program milestones

• Track and communicate delivery metrics, including plan versus actuals, throughput, and risk burndown

• Review engineering outputs and provide direction to ensure compliance with defined processes and standards

• Plan and establish goals and objectives with direct impact on short‑term operational results within the department

• Drive continuous improvement in processes, systems, and development practices

• Influence and lead the integration of automation and Artificial Intelligence into the software development lifecycle, with focus on:

– Measurable improvements to cycle time, quality, and compliance

– Appropriate guardrails for DO‑178 and safety‑critical development environments

• Communicate, interpret, and gain alignment on policies, practices, and engineering processes across teams

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline

• 6+ years of experience developing real‑time embedded software

• Minimum of 2 years of experience leading or coordinating a technical team

• Practical experience leading execution of processes, projects, and technical work within a software engineering team

• Strong written and verbal communication, interpersonal, and collaboration skills

• Action‑oriented, results‑driven mindset with strong critical‑thinking and root‑cause analysis skills

Highly Desired

• Experience with DO‑178 development in safety‑critical avionics environments

• Experience developing software in the C programming language

• Knowledge of engineering design standards applicable to commercial aviation

Preferred Additional Skills

• Experience with real‑time operating systems such as Green Hills, VxWorks, or CentOS

• Experience with C++, Python, Visual Basic, or Pascal

• Linux development experience

• Experience with configuration management and change control tools (e.g., Git, Bitbucket, ClearCase, Subversion, ClearQuest)

• Experience using requirements management tools such as DOORS

• Experience working within Agile software development lifecycles

• Exposure to DevOps practices, including Continuous Integration and Continuous Testing

• Experience with Jenkins

• Experience introducing emerging AI tools, including prompt engineering, into rigorous safety‑critical environments

• Servant‑leadership approach to managing and developing software engineers

Equal Opportunity Statement

Acron Aviation is proud to be an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to treating all employees and applicants with respect and dignity and to maintaining a workplace free from unlawful discrimination. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or other related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Additional Information:

Acron Aviation maintains a drug‑free workplace and conducts pre‑employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where allowed by law. Acron Aviation is an E‑Verify employer.