Director of Embedded Software

Director of Embedded Software – Aerospace / Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) 📍 California, USA (Hybrid – Bay Area / Los Angeles) 💼 Full-time | Engineering Leadership
We are partnering with a leading organisation in the advanced air mobility sector to appoint a Director of Embedded Software to lead development of next-generation safety-critical flight and vehicle systems.
This is a senior technical leadership role at the core of a platform building certified electric aircraft and autonomous-capable aviation systems.
Role Overview
You will lead embedded software teams developing real-time, safety-critical systems across flight control, avionics integration, and vehicle management.
The role spans architecture, delivery, and certification support, working closely with systems engineering, hardware, flight test, and autonomy teams to bring complex aerospace systems into certified production.
Key Responsibilities
Lead embedded software development for real-time flight and vehicle systemsDefine and own software architecture for safety-critical aerospace platformsDrive full lifecycle delivery: development, integration, verification, certificationEnsure compliance with DO-178C and aerospace safety standardsOversee SIL/HIL testing and system integration with hardware and simulation environmentsCollaborate across avionics, autonomy, systems, and flight test functionsManage roadmap, execution, and cross-team technical dependenciesMentor senior engineers and engineering managers
Requirements
10+ years in embedded software engineering3+ years in engineering leadership (Manager / Senior Manager / Director)Strong C/C++ embedded systems experienceRTOS and/or embedded Linux experienceBackground in aerospace, UAVs, robotics, or safety-critical systemsProven delivery of production-grade embedded systems
Nice to HaveExperience with DO-178C / ARP4754A certificationFlight control, avionics, or autonomous systems backgroundSIL/HIL testing or model-based development experienceExperience scaling engineering teams in regulated environments
Compensation:
Base Salary: $250,000 – $290,000Bonus: 20%Total Cash Compensation: $300,000 – $348,000Equity: Competitive director-level equity package (bringing total compensation potential to $270,000 – $410,000+)Full benefits + hybrid flexibility + relocation support
Why This Role
This is a rare opportunity to shape the embedded software backbone of certified electric aviation platforms at scale, operating at the intersection of aerospace rigor and modern autonomous systems engineering.
If this role is of interest, please apply via the link and I will contact you!