GPS Applications Engineer

Elevate Aviation Safety: Lead Certification for Next-Gen Military GPS

Ready to make a tangible impact on global defense using cutting-edge navigation technology? Trimble Military and Advanced Systems is looking for a passionate Certification Lead to ensure our high-performance embedded GPS receivers meet the highest safety standards. In this role, you will bridge the gap between complex engineering and rigorous aircraft certification, directly influencing the reliability of more than 70 global aviation and maritime platforms.

About Us:

Trimble is a global technology company that connects the physical and digital worlds, transforming the ways work gets done. With relentless innovation in precise positioning, modeling and data analytics, Trimble enables essential industries including construction, geospatial and transportation. Whether it's helping customers build and maintain infrastructure, design and construct buildings, optimize global supply chains or map the world, Trimble is at the forefront, driving productivity and progress.

Trimble empowers customers to drive productivity and progress with connected hardware and software solutions.

What Makes This Role Great:

In this role, you'll be the primary architect of our certification strategy, directly influencing the safety and success of modernized GPS aviation receivers used by U.S. and international partners. You will have the unique opportunity to shape the entire product development life cycle, fostering a culture of excellence while navigating the complexities of DO-178C and DO-254 standards to deliver mission-critical solutions.

Key Exciting Responsibilities

• Spearhead the development and refinement of software lifecycle plans, ensuring the deterministic execution of safety-critical embedded systems.

• Conduct and support high-stakes formal audits with regulatory authorities like the FAA and EASA to secure vital certification credits.

• Manage the end-to-end generation and bidirectional traceability of essential lifecycle data, from low-level design to hardware interface documentation.

• Champion process innovation by identifying and adopting best practices that enhance the quality and efficiency of the certification journey.

• Serve as the central technical liaison for design assurance, uniting systems, hardware, and software teams to achieve seamless product releases.

Essential Skills & Experience:

• You have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in CS or EE and over 5 years of experience in safety-critical avionics or aerospace certification.

• You possess deep expertise in DO-178C standards and have a proven track record of successfully navigating civil aviation authority audits.

• You are highly proficient in authoring complex lifecycle artifacts and managing them within tools like DOORS, Jama, or Git.

• You hold a proactive, collaborative mindset with the ability to obtain a DoD security clearance.

Bonus Points For:

• Practical experience with DO-254 hardware design assurance standards.

• Hands-on experience performing verification and structural coverage analysis directly on target hardware.

Logistics:

Location: Sunnyvale, California (Office)

Why You'll Love Working With Us:

At Trimble, we're not just a company that "does good"—we are a team dedicated to making a tangible, positive Real-World Impact. We build innovative solutions designed to solve the world's most critical challenges. From construction sites to transportation hubs, our work tangibly improves how people live, build, move, and grow. You'll work on projects that truly matter: Our purpose-driven culture means you'll be helping to build and deliver solutions that make work faster, safer, and more sustainable for millions of people worldwide. Our impact is tangible, from connected machines that save fuel to data-driven insights that reduce waste. Collaborate with like-minded people: Our strong internal culture is a "hidden gem." You will work with a collaborative, supportive team that shares your purpose and fosters a genuine sense of belonging. We're a company of "visionary pragmatists" who think boldly and build things that work. Be an owner: Trimble thrives on individuals who take initiative and embrace ownership. You'll find an entrepreneurial spirit where success is often "self-authored," empowering proactive "doers."

DO-178C, DO-254, Avionics Certification, Embedded Software, Systems Engineering, FAA, Aerospace Engineering, GPS Technology, Safety-Critical Systems, Design Assurance

Compensation:  Trimble provides the following compensation range and general description of other compensation and benefits that it in good faith believes it might pay and/or offer for this position. This compensation range is based on a full time schedule. Trimble reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, or federal law.

Hiring Range

Pay Rate Type

Bonus Eligible?

Commission Eligible?

Benefits:  Trimble offers comprehensive core benefits that include Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability, Time off plans and retirement plans. Most of our businesses also offer tax savings plans for health, dependent care and commuter expenses as well as Paid Parental Leave and Employee Stock Purchase Plan. If this position is identified above as commission- or bonus-eligible, the terms of the commission plan or discretionary bonus plan for which you are eligible will be provided following the employee start date.

How to Apply: Please submit an online application for this position by clicking on the ‘Apply Now’ button located in this posting.

Application Deadline: Trimble accepts applications on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

At Trimble, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where everyone can thrive. Guided by our core values—Belong, Innovate, and Grow—we embrace and celebrate differences, knowing they make us stronger and more innovative. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, welcoming individuals of all backgrounds and advancing opportunities while embracing race, color, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, veteran status, or any other protected and diverse characteristic. We are committed to offering our candidates and employees with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs the ability to seek reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable law and/or where it would not constitute undue hardship for Trimble. For more, please see Trimble's Code of Business Conduct and Ethics at https://investor.trimble.com, under “Corporate Governance.”

Our mission to transform the way the world works starts with transforming how we work together. By actively listening, asking questions, and taking intentional actions, we cultivate a culture that provides equitable opportunities for everyone to contribute and grow.

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