Full-Time
Principal Engineer
Future Flight Decks
Updated on 9/4/2026
Cirrus Aircraft
1,001-5,000 employees
Designs certified aircraft with CAPS parachute
Compensation Overview
$167.5k - $251.3k/yr
Duluth, MN, USA
In Person
Travel up to 25% may be required.
Bachelor's, Master's
 Aerospace Engineering (1) |
|---|
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- A bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering, or a related STEM discipline, is required.
- At least 12 years of experience in aerospace or user interface product development is required.
- Broad aircraft-related technical knowledge and a strong understanding of pilot-vehicle interfaces are required.
- Previous early product development or user interface experience from a clean sheet through working prototypes is required.
- A proven track record of producing results while developing new designs or products is required.
- The candidate must demonstrate accountability, willingness to take calculated risks, and willingness to correct mistakes.
- The candidate must be able to lead small technical teams and manage early development projects.
- Experience with iterative development cycles and the ability to identify non-viable solutions early and rapidly redirect technical strategy are required.
- Strong hands-on skills in prototyping, simulation, and testing are required.
- The candidate must be comfortable working under tight deadlines with minimal direction and in a shop or laboratory environment.
- Proficiency in creating engineering design definitions, including 3D models, 2D drawings, sketches, schematics, and bills of materials, is required.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required.
- Own and lead development of Future Flight Decks, pilot-vehicle interfaces, flight control inceptors, and associated systems and software features from ideation through conceptual design and into practical product paths.
- Lead the drafting and refinement of future pilot-vehicle-interface philosophies and concepts of operation for simplified vehicle operations.
- Lead the design, fabrication, and refinement of flight deck mockups and developmental simulators.
- Create and manage development plans for early-stage exploration, requirements capture, and concept validation.
- Design and validate control logic for automated system and equipment functionality.
- Generate and test hypotheses through hands-on prototyping, simulation, and evaluation with minimal supervision.
- Organize and conduct pilot and non-pilot user evaluations to assess concept prototypes and identify follow-up questions, risks, issues, and improvement areas.
- Organize, define, analyze, and validate pilot functional tasks.
- Engineer and refine requirements and objectives through stakeholder engagement and iterative experimentation.
- Translate verbal direction and vision into actionable design objectives and development strategies.
- Collaborate with pilots, mechanics, experimental technicians, Product Development, Certification, Production, and external stakeholders.
- Work with groups developing embedded systems, advanced sensing systems, advanced flight controls, and automated systems.
- Foster rapid prototyping, testing, and iteration while learning from successes and failures.
- Communicate complex ideas effectively to diverse audiences.
- Travel up to 25% as required.
- A master's degree is preferred.
- Being a private fixed-wing pilot with an instrument rating is preferred.
- Advanced ratings or experience with multiple aircraft types would be beneficial.
- Experience with automotive or computer user-interface development is preferred.
- Experience with new avionics controls and display feature development is preferred.
- Experience with creative, consumer, or design-related product development is preferred.
- Experience with human-factors design, evaluations, and data-reduction processes is preferred.
- Aircraft development program experience from early concepts through entry into service is preferred.
- Experience leading Integrated Product Teams or similar technical teams is preferred.
- Familiarity with Figma and ProtoPie is preferred.
- Familiarity with PTC products such as Creo and Windchill is preferred.
- Familiarity with MathWorks products such as MATLAB and Simulink is preferred.
- Familiarity with Atlassian products such as Jira and Confluence is preferred.
- Proficiency in at least one coding language is preferred.
- Experience with Federal Aviation Administration certification processes and standards, including Part 23, Part 27, Advisory Circulars, and Industry Consensus Standards, is preferred.
Cirrus Aircraft designs and builds general aviation airplanes with a focus on safety, including the SR20, SR22, and Vision SF50. Its signature feature is the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), a whole-airframe parachute used in emergencies. The company differentiates itself by making CAPS standard on every model and by using composite materials and glass cockpits to improve performance and ease of use. Its goal is to make personal aviation safer and more accessible by delivering capable aircraft with integrated safety features.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Duluth, Minnesota
Founded
1984
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- H1 2026 revenue rose 24% to $737 million, with net profit up 35.6%.
- Orders and reservations jumped to 398, while deliveries increased 16% to 405 aircraft.
- Grand Forks expansion and Duluth Talent Center raise capacity and hiring for 2026-2027.
What critics are saying
- TRAC10 deliveries start 2027, so execution slips can defer revenue and orders.
- Backlog above 1,000 aircraft means customers wait one to two years, inviting defections.
- A fatal CAPS-related crash could trigger FAA scrutiny, lawsuits, and brand damage.
What makes Cirrus Aircraft unique
- CAPS standardizes whole-airframe parachutes across SR Series and Vision Jet, unlike rivals.
- TRAC10 targets flight schools with three-seat training and Garmin AXIS avionics.
- Cirrus combines composite airframes, safety automation, and premium cabin design into one brand.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Vision Insurance
Dental Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
Wellness Program
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Paid Vacation
Paid Holidays
Parental Leave
Tuition Reimbursement
Professional Development Budget
Tuition Reimbursement
Professional Development Budget
Employee Discounts
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 11%1 year growth
↑ 11%2 year growth
↑ 10%Huachuang Securities remains a Buy on Cirrus Aircraft Limited (2507). Aug. 29, 2026, 06:15 AM Huachuang Securities analyst maintained a Buy rating on Cirrus Aircraft Limited yesterday and set a price target of HK$64.23. The company's shares closed yesterday at HK$47.88. Cirrus Aircraft Limited has an analyst consensus of Strong Buy, with a price target consensus of HK$62.88. Based on Cirrus Aircraft Limited's latest earnings release for the quarter ending June 30, the company reported a quarterly revenue of HK$735.23 million and a net profit of HK$87.91 million. In comparison, last year the company earned a revenue of HK$594.49 million and had a net profit of HK$64.97 million Read More on HK:2507:
Cirrus backlog tops 1,000 aircraft. Manufacturer reports higher deliveries and revenue as aircraft orders continue to keep pace with production. Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 02:18 PM ET Key takeaways: Cirrus Aircraft said Wednesday its order backlog remains above 1,000 airplanes after the manufacturer reported higher deliveries and revenue for the first half of 2026. Cirrus delivered 405 aircraft during the six-month period, up 16% from 350 a year earlier. Revenue increased 24% to $737 million from $594 million. Orders keep pace with deliveries. Orders and reservations reached 398 aircraft during the first half, compared to 241 during the same period in 2025. The company reported a book-to-bill ratio of 0.98, meaning the company received nearly as many new aircraft orders as it completed deliveries. The company did not provide a model-by-model breakdown of its backlog. "Our backlog is healthy. Depending on make and model, you have to wait anywhere from one to two years to take delivery, which keeps the used market very healthy too," Cirrus CEO Zean Nielsen said during the company's earnings call. "Our book-to-bill is almost one to one." Aircraft sales generated $617 million in first-half revenue, up from $498 million a year earlier. Revenue from Cirrus Services and other operations increased from $96 million to $120 million. Net income rose to approximately $88.1 million from about $65 million during the first half of 2025. Cirrus adds production capacity. The results follow the Aug. 14 opening of an expanded Cirrus manufacturing facility in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The project added more than 30,000 square feet and increased space for composite manufacturing. The facility produces components for the SR Series and Vision Jet and will also manufacture composites for the new TRAC10 training aircraft. "In the first half of 2026, we had a book-to-bill of nearly 1 at 0.98, which means we really had as many orders as units delivered to end customers, keeping our overall backlog very strong as we continued to increase our production capacity," Cirrus CFO George Letten said during the earnings call. Cirrus is preparing to begin TRAC10 production ahead of planned deliveries in 2027. Nielsen said the company has been increasing production to gradually reduce delivery waits and is targeting a backlog that would eventually represent roughly one year of production. Matt is AVweb's lead editor. His eyes have been turned to the sky for as long as he can remember. Now a fixed-wing pilot, instructor and aviation writer, Matt also leads and teaches a high school aviation program in the Dallas area. Beyond his lifelong obsession with aviation, Matt loves to travel and has lived in Greece, Czechia and Germany for studies and for work.
Cirrus Aircraft reported revenue of $737 million for the first half of 2026, marking a 24% increase from $594 million in the same period of 2025. The Minnesota-based personal aviation company attributed the growth to strong demand across its product line, including the SR Series G7+, G3 Vision Jet, and TRAC10 aircraft. Aircraft sales revenue rose 23.8% to $617 million, whilst services revenue grew 25% to $120 million. The company's order backlog increased from 241 to 398 units period-over-period. Operating profit margin reached 14.9%, up 0.8 percentage points. Adjusted EBITDA climbed 33.6% to $136 million, whilst net income increased 35.6%. Free cash flow totalled $74.7 million.
Cirrus Opens $11 Million Expansion of Grand Forks Manufacturing Facility YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
New high-tech composite center for 300 employees in central Switzerland begins operations. Publisher: Dana Ermolenko With its striking new "Schwarzhorn" building, Pilatus has officially opened an ultra-modern center of advanced composite competence in canton Nidwalden: effective immediately, the development and production of composite components will be united under one roof for the first time. The new building provides state-of-the-art workplaces for around 300 employees and has been designed to meet the highest standards of sustainability. Pilatus CEO Markus Bucher commented: "With this building, Pilatus is once again reaffirming its commitment to Switzerland as a place of innovation, manufacturing, and training - and to our sustainable development here at our home base, where our roots lie. Costing 100 million Swiss francs, this building is the most expensive facility we have invested in to date." Composites - also known as fiber-reinforced materials - have been used since over 40 years at Pilatus, but only for non-load-bearing secondary structures such as covers and cowlings. The PC-24 Super Versatile Jet marks a departure from this in that composite materials are now used for primary structural components as well: composite load-bearing control surfaces represent an important technological development in aircraft construction because they are lighter, and therefore contribute to fuel savings. Pilatus plans to expand the use of composites in the future. Named after a Swiss mountain and the color of the composite components, the "Schwarzhorn" building brings all the process steps together under one roof - from delivery and storage of raw materials through to component production, subassembly, and surface treatment, to storage and order picking. The components are delivered directly to the final assembly as finished kits. The largely self-sufficient composite production process allows all the disciplines involved to concentrate fully on value-adding activities. The manufacturing areas also provide the opportunity to use state-of-the-art manufacturing and inspection technologies in the future and to further automate production steps. The close collaboration between manufacturing and development is another key aspect associated with the new building. In addition to production technology, the "Schwarzhorn" is also setting new standards in terms of energy-related performance. Photovoltaic installations on the roof and facades, plus the use of process-related waste heat and groundwater for heating and cooling respectively, significantly reduce the need for energy from external sources. Another first for Pilatus is the company's goal of obtaining LEED Platinum certification for the new building. This internationally recognized label stands for sustainable construction and focuses on resource conservation, environmental protection and reduction of energy and water consumption. Flexjet celebrates both racetrack and runway during Monterey Car Week's closing weekend August 14-16, 2026, with a custom Flexjet Formula 1(R) car as the centerpiece. The racecar wi... Etihad Guest announces a frequent flyer partnership with Taiwan-based STARLUX Airlines' COSMILE loyalty programme. The partnership marks the next stage in the airlines' strategic relati... Cirrus Aircraft celebrated the opening of its expanded manufacturing facility in Grand Forks, North Dakota, marking a significant milestone in the company's continued investment in manufacturing e... As Lufthansa Technik celebrates 70 years of vocational training this year, a new personal chapter is beginning for many young people. With the start of the 2026 training and academic year, the company...