Build What’s Next in Aerospace
For nearly a century, Simmonds Precision has been helping shape the future of flight from our home in Vergennes, Vermont. Today, our technologies are trusted across hundreds of commercial and military aircraft platforms worldwide, helping aircraft operate safely, reliably, and efficiently.
At Simmonds Precision, we design and manufacture advanced sensing, monitoring, fuel management, and precision control technologies that solve some of aerospace’s most demanding challenges. Behind every solution is a team of talented people who bring together engineering expertise, advanced manufacturing, craftsmanship, and a drive to innovate.
When you join Simmonds Precision, you’re not just taking the next step in your career, you’re contributing to technology that takes flight around the world. Whether your expertise is in engineering, manufacturing, quality, operations, or business support, there’s an opportunity to make your mark.
Find your next opportunity where precision meets possibility - and build your career in aerospace with Simmonds Precision.
We are seeking an accomplished and results-oriented Senior Manager, Software Engineering to lead our software engineering organization in Vergennes, Vermont.
In this highly visible leadership role, you will guide a talented team of engineers responsible for developing, integrating, and verifying complex, safety-critical embedded software for advanced aerospace applications. You will provide both strategic direction and hands-on technical leadership, ensuring that software solutions meet demanding performance, quality, certification, and customer requirements.
This is an opportunity for an experienced engineering leader who thrives on solving complex technical challenges, developing high-performing teams, and driving continuous improvement in a highly regulated environment.
What You Will Do
Engineering Leadership & Talent Development
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of software engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Provide strategic direction and day-to-day leadership, ensuring engineering resources and priorities align with business objectives and program commitments.
• Oversee workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management, succession planning, and professional development initiatives.
• Build organizational capability by strengthening technical expertise, improving team effectiveness, and developing future engineering leaders.
• Establish clear performance expectations and promote ownership, innovation, and results across the software engineering organization.
Software Development & Technical Excellence
• Provide technical leadership throughout the full software development lifecycle, from requirements definition and architecture through design, implementation, integration, verification, and certification support.
• Oversee the development of reliable, high-integrity, real-time embedded software for safety-critical airborne systems.
• Partner with software architects, systems engineers, and technical leaders to establish scalable, maintainable, and robust software architectures.
• Guide technical decision-making, design reviews, troubleshooting, and resolution of complex software and system-level challenges.
• Champion sound engineering practices, including requirements traceability, configuration management, software verification, and disciplined change control.
Aviation Safety, Quality & Regulatory Compliance
• Ensure software development and verification activities comply with applicable aerospace industry standards, including RTCA DO-178C and associated Design Assurance Level (DAL) requirements.
• Provide leadership and oversight for software certification planning, documentation, verification, and compliance activities.
• Collaborate with quality assurance, systems engineering, and certification teams to maintain software integrity and support airworthiness objectives.
• Identify and mitigate technical, quality, and compliance risks throughout the development lifecycle.
• Promote a quality-first engineering culture that prioritizes product safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance.
Program Execution & Business Partnership
• Direct software engineering execution across multiple programs, ensuring deliverables meet established technical requirements, schedules, budgets, and quality expectations.
• Develop resource plans, establish priorities, monitor engineering milestones, and proactively address program risks and constraints.
• Partner closely with program management, hardware engineering, systems engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams to ensure successful integration and delivery of complex aerospace systems.
• Serve as a key technical and organizational interface with internal stakeholders, customers, and external partners.
• Communicate engineering progress, technical challenges, resource needs, and mitigation strategies to senior leadership and program stakeholders.
• Balance competing priorities while maintaining focus on customer commitments, engineering quality, and operational performance.
Engineering Strategy & Continuous Improvement
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance software development efficiency, engineering productivity, and product quality.
• Evaluate and implement modern software engineering methodologies, tools, and technologies that support development, verification, and certification objectives.
• Advance opportunities for automated testing, continuous integration, model-based development, and improved software development workflows.
• Establish and monitor meaningful engineering performance metrics, including schedule performance, defect trends, verification progress, and resource utilization.
• Develop and standardize engineering processes that strengthen consistency, scalability, and long-term organizational effectiveness.
• Partner with senior engineering leadership to influence technology roadmaps, engineering capabilities, and future product development strategies.
Qualifications You Must Have
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive software engineering experience, including significant experience developing safety-critical embedded software within aerospace, avionics, defense, or similarly regulated industries.
• At least 5 years of demonstrated leadership experience managing software engineering teams, technical organizations, or complex embedded software development programs.
• Strong working knowledge of RTCA DO-178C, software certification processes, and Design Assurance Level requirements.
• Demonstrated experience leading software development activities for safety-critical or mission-critical applications.
• Technical proficiency in embedded software development using C, Ada, or similar programming languages within real-time operating systems (RTOS) or bare-metal environments.
• Strong understanding of embedded software architecture, hardware-software integration, and avionics communication protocols, such as ARINC 429, MIL-STD-1553, or CAN bus.
• Proven ability to manage multiple engineering projects, establish priorities, allocate resources, and deliver results within schedule and budget requirements.
• Demonstrated success building, coaching, and developing technical teams while driving accountability and performance.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to effectively engage technical teams, cross-functional partners, customers, and executive leadership.
• Strong interpersonal skills, sound judgment, and a collaborative leadership approach.
Qualifications We Prefer
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience leading software development and certification activities for DO-178C DAL A or DAL B applications.
• Experience modernizing legacy embedded software systems or transitioning to model-based development and automated verification methodologies.
• Familiarity with model-based design tools, automated testing frameworks, continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD), and software development tool qualification.
• Experience with aerospace systems integration, certification audits, and customer or regulatory authority technical reviews.
• Demonstrated success implementing engineering process improvements that increase efficiency, improve product quality, or accelerate development timelines.
• Experience supporting both new product development and sustainment of established aerospace platforms.
• Experience developing long-term engineering strategies, technical roadmaps, and organizational capability plans.
Additional Position Requirements
Work Location: This position requires working 100% on-site at our Vergennes, Vermont facility to support close collaboration with engineering teams, program stakeholders, and business operations.
Citizenship: U.S. citizenship is required for this position due to applicable government security clearance requirements.
Why Join Simmonds Precision?
At Simmonds Precision, you won't just be filling a position, you'll be developing skills in an industry where precision matters. You'll have the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals, gain hands-on manufacturing experience, and contribute to products used in demanding aerospace applications.
Compensation & Benefits
Great work deserves great rewards - and benefits that support you both at work and beyond. Our comprehensive total rewards package is designed to help you stay healthy, build financial security, enjoy time away from work, and continue growing throughout your career.
- Health & Wellness: Take care of yourself and your family with comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, HSA and FSA options, and convenient access to an onsite cafeteria and fitness center.
- Invest in Your Future: Enjoy competitive pay, an annual bonus opportunity, and a 401(k)-retirement plan that includes up to a 4% company match plus an additional annual employer contribution starting at 3%. Company-paid life and disability insurance provide additional financial protection and peace of mind.
- Time to Recharge: We believe time away from work matters. Enjoy four weeks of vacation, plus five additional paid days during our annual holiday shutdown, paid sick leave, and paid maternity and paternity leave - giving you more time for the moments that matter.
- Grow Your Career: Keep building your skills and advancing your career with up to $20,000 in annual tuition reimbursement, along with ongoing professional development and learning opportunities.
- Benefits Beyond the Basics: Choose from additional programs designed to make life a little easier, including supplemental insurance, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), legal services, identity theft protection, discounted auto and home insurance, and pet insurance.
Take the next step in your engineering leadership career and help us shape the future of aerospace technology - where precision meets possibility.
