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Senior Manager-Flight Controls Systems

Cirrus Aircraft

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At a glance

Compensation
No compensation found
Location
AZ
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Bachelor's degree

Job overview

The Senior Manager, Flight Control Systems leads a multidisciplinary engineering organization responsible for aircraft flight control systems from development and integration through certification, production transition, and operational support. The role also serves as site leader for the Arizona Innovation Center, partnering with Advanced Design and Development to mature and transition flight control technologies into certified aircraft products.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Aircraft Flight Control Systems DevelopmentFlight Control System TestingAircraft CertificationSystem SafetyDevelopment AssuranceEnvironmental QualificationAirborne Hardware DevelopmentAirborne Software DevelopmentARP4754A/BARP4761ADO-178CDO-254DO-160Model-Based DevelopmentSimulationRequirements ManagementConfiguration ManagementIssue TrackingVerification ToolchainsWritten CommunicationVerbal CommunicationTechnical JudgmentLeadership Through AmbiguityComplex Project Leadership14 CFR Part 23Six Sigma Green BeltProcess MappingValue Stream MappingCreoMATLABVBAPTC IntegrityDOORSJamaJIRAWindchillClearQuestClearCasePilot ExperienceGround School Experience

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Aerospace or Related10+ Years Aerospace Engineering5+ Years Leadership ExperienceMaster's in Aerospace or RelatedSix Sigma Green Belt or Others

Benefits

Medical Insurance
Vision Insurance
Dental Insurance
401(k) Match
Paid Time Off
Parental Leave
Tuition Assistance

Full job description

Overview

The Senior Manager, Flight Control Systems leads the strategy, development, integration, verification, certification, production transition, and operational support of aircraft flight control systems. This role is responsible for a multidisciplinary engineering organization comprising flight controls systems engineers, control law developers, modeling and simulation engineers, and systems integrations and test engineers. In partnership with the Advanced Design and Development organization, this team develops, matures, and atransitions innovative flight control technologies and capabilities into certified aircraft products. This position also serves as the site leader for the Arizona Innovation Center.

Responsibilities

  • Build, lead, develop, and retain a high-performing multidisciplinary Flight Control Systems organization, establishing clear accountability, technical ownership, workforce plans, execution priorities, and a culture of safety, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

  • Serve as the site leader for the Arizona Innovation Center, providing local leadership and coordinating site operations, resources, facilities, and cross-functional activities in support of organizational objectives.

  • Lead the Flight Control Systems organization in the development, integration, certification, and lifecycle support of aircraft flight control systems.

  • Provide leadership, governance, and oversight for flight controls requirements, safety, development assurance, verification, validtaion, certification, and technical execution activities.

  • Partner with Advanced Design and Development to mature, integrate, and transition innovative flight control technologies and capabilities into certifiable aircraft products for current and future aircraft programs.

  • Partner with Certification, ODA, suppliers, and program stakeholders to establish certification strategies, means of compliance, and certification plans.

  • Establish and oversee flight contorles integration, simulation, and test capabilities that support the development, verification, and certification of current and future aircraft programs.

  • Own organizational budgeting, resource planning, schedule commitments, risk management, and performance reporting.

  • Establish engineering processes, tools, and technical standards that improve execution, reduce program risk, and enable scalable flight control system development.

  • Communicate technical, programmatic, certification, and organizational topics to enginnering teams, program leadership, executive management, suppliers, and regaulatory authorities.

Qualifications

Required:

  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.

  • 10+ years of progressively responsible aerospace engineering experience, including substantial experience developing aircraft flight control systems across multiple phases of the product lifecycle.

  • 5+ years of direct leadership experience managing technical teams, technical leaders, suppliers, and cross-functional execution.

  • Demonstrated experience leading aircraft flight control system development from intial design through integration, verification, flight test, and certification.

  • Demonstrated experience developing, managing, or operating flight control system test facilities such as system integration laboratories, hardware-in-the-loop benches, engineering simulators, or iron-bird test rigs.

  • Working knowledge of aircraft certification, system safety, development assurance, environmental qualification, and airborne hardware/software development practices, including familiarity with ARP4754A/B, ARP4761A, DO-178C, DO-254, and DO-160.

  • Experience with mdoel-based development, simulation, requirements management, configuration management, issue tracking, and verification toolchains.

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, sound technical judgement, and the ability to lead through ambiguity in an early-stage development environment.

Preferred:

  • Master's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.

  • Leading teams of 10 or more engineers working on multiple complex projects.

  • Previous certification experience with standards such as 14 CFR Part 23.

  • Process development experience (Six Sigma Green belt of others).

  • Process mapping and deployment experience (VSM).

  • Use of design rolls such as CREO, MATLAB, VBA, or similar programs.

  • Requirements Management tool experience (PTC Integrity, Doors, Jama, or equivalent).

  • Change Management and Configuration Management tool experience (JIRA, Windchill, Clearquest, Clearcase, or equivalent).

  • Pilot or Ground School experience.

Our Benefits: Cirrus provides a range of exciting benefits, including:

  • Comprehensive Health Coverage:Medical, vision, dental, with additional dependent coverage options

  • Employer-Paid Coverages:Group term life, short- and long-term disability insurance

  • Flexible Spending Accounts: FSA and HSA offerings with company contributions to HSA

  • Well-being: Calm Health, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness incentives through medical provider

  • 401(k) Plan:Dollar-for-dollar match up to 5% after 90 days, with 100% vesting at 1 year of service

  • PTO:Various PTO plans starting at 100 hours accrued within the first year

  • Additional Time off Benefits:Paid holidays, 2 weeks of Paid Parental leave, paid time for funeral leave and jury duty

  • Career Development:Tuition reimbursement program and professional growth opportunities

  • Exclusive Discounts:Cirrus Store, partner and marketplace discounts available

  • Community & Engagement:Company and employee clubs at various locations

These benefits are designed to support your well-being, growth, and enjoyment at Cirrus!

Other Duties

Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Work beyond 40 hours per week may be required.

Cirrus is dedicated to a drug-free work environment promoting equal employment opportunity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, national origin, color, age, disability, religion, pregnancy, veteran status, marital and family status, sexual orientation, receipt of public assistance, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Submit a Referral (https://careers-cirrusaircraft.icims.com/jobs/6001/senior-manager-flight-controls-systems/job?mode=apply&apply=yes&in\_iframe=1&hashed=-1834322263)

Software Powered by ICIMS

ID2026-6001

CategoryEngineering

Position TypeFull-Time

Location TypeOnsite

LocationUS-AZ-

How this job compares

Set against the 5,828 open Engineering Manager jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 6, 2026.

Pay
  • This postingNot listed
  • Arizona median$135–253K/yr77 salary ranges
  • US median$52–73/hr28 hourly ranges
Openings
Olive Jobs lists 106 open Engineering Manager jobs in Arizona and 5,828 across the US. 7% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Arizona
Experience
This posting asks for at least 10 years of experience; Engineering Manager postings that state a minimum ask for 8 years at the median (5,111 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 2,573 of the 5,828 open Engineering Manager jobs (44%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 6, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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