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Senior Engineer, Electrified Propulsion Aircraft Drives

Ampaire

Ampaire

Long Beach, CA, USA
Posted on Jan 7, 2025

Ampaire Inc. Senior Engineer, Electrified Propulsion Aircraft Drives Long Beach, CA · Full time

Ampaire, a leading tech startup in California's electric aviation sector, is seeking a Senior Engineer for Electrified Propulsion Aircraft Drives. This role will own the continued development, certification, and commercialization of the main power electronics and microcontroller unit that conditions electric power for our hybrid powertrain. The position focuses on managing the certifiable control software development, and associated power electronics and aircraft integration and testing. Key qualifications include experience with DO-178C software certification standards and hands-on experience with high voltage and high-power systems. The role reports to the Powertrain Lead and involves occasional travel for remote flight campaigns.

Description

Company Overview

Ampaire is a tech startup based in California that is leading the charge in electric aviation. We are on a mission to provide the world with electric commercial flights that are affordable, quiet, and environmentally conscious. We are building the future of air travel by reimagining the way people and their things fly. We are a practical and lean start-up that quickly iterates and learns, and this has allowed Ampaire to be among the first of the electric aviation companies to fly. We currently are flying the world’s largest electrified aircraft by weight and capacity.

Role and Responsibilities:

  • Lead continued development and certification of electrified propulsion aircraft motor-controller drive units
    • Manage power electronics and controller hardware suppliers
    • Refine strategy, manage, and execute development and certification of FAA DAL-compliant DO-178C software including in-house and support contractors
    • Lead powertrain integration and experimental testing of drive units on dyno, iron birds, and flight aircraft
    • Plan, manage, and execute in-house and contracted drive certification tests
    • Support FAA-certification documentation
  • Lead troubleshooting of complex EMI challenges and ensure robust system performance
  • Lead the development and integration of other motor controllers, inverters, rectifiers, and DC/DC converters for hybrid and electric aircraft applications from lab to flight test and commercialization
  • Manage Ampaire's R&D power electronics programs with partner universities
  • Prepare detailed documentation for system design, testing, and certification
  • Manage suppliers for powertrain components to ensure on performance, schedule and budget requirements are met
  • Position based at Long Beach HQ facility
  • Reports to Powertrain Lead

Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in relevant engineering discipline
  • 5+ years of increasing responsibilities in aerospace, or equivalent, motor drive projects for 400V+, 100kW+ PWM-driven multi-phase inverters
  • Expert knowledge of DO-178 software development process
  • Proficient with MathWorks Simulink code-generation tools

Desired Qualifications:

  • Master’s degree in relevant engineering discipline
  • 10+ years of relevant experience
  • Executed DO-178 software development projects through certification
  • Experience with DO-254 development projects
  • Proficient with hybrid electric powertrain engineering
  • Proficient with NXP microprocessors and NXP-based microcontrollers

Salary

$140,000 - $230,000 per year