DevOps Engineer

This position must be performed onsite in Kirkland, WA.

At Heads Up Technologies, we’re redefining what’s possible in the air. Since our beginnings in a Dallas hangar in 1985, we’ve grown into a global leader in aviation technology driven by innovation, precision, and a relentless pursuit of better in-flight experiences. From pioneering digital audio and lighting systems to uniting with STG Aerospace and ALTO Aviation under one brand, we continue to lead the way in cabin systems integration for business and commercial aircraft. Join us as we shape the future of aviation where lighting, entertainment, safety, and audio come together to elevate every journey.

The Innovative Advantage team specializes in high-performance embedded audio, video, and data distribution systems for private jet aircraft. Our team is dedicated to innovation, creating seamless in-flight entertainment and connectivity solutions that make air travel more enjoyable. We take pride in enabling the ultimate passenger experience by delivering reliable, high-quality products trusted by industry leaders.

About the role

We’re looking for a DevOps Engineer to own and enhance our automation, CI/CD pipelines, and development infrastructure across software, firmware, and FPGA engineering. You will be the primary DevOps contributor—defining best practices, implementing modern tooling, and enabling IA to expand into Connected Services with next-generation monitoring, deployment, and operational systems.

This is a high-impact, hands-on role for an engineer who enjoys both strategic planning and building systems end-to-end.

Key Details        

• Work Days and Hours: Our normal working hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday, with the flexibility to work a 4x10 or 5x8 schedule.
• Location: This is a full-time onsite position located in Kirkland, WA.
• Compensation: $115,000 to $145,000 per year
• Work Eligibility: Must be a U.S. Citizen and authorized to work in the United States.

What you'll do

Strategic Responsibilities

• Evaluate and integrate modern DevOps tools and workflows for embedded systems and FPGA development.
• Identify bottlenecks across engineering workflows and propose scalable improvements.
• Stay current with embedded Linux distributions, toolchains, and DevOps ecosystem trends.
• Recommend approaches for reducing technical debt and improving long-term maintainability.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to software and firmware engineers on DevOps tooling and best practices.

Immediate Priorities

• Develop and maintain a package management system for embedded software distribution.
• Lead adoption of an artifact repository for managing build outputs and binary assets.
• Define and implement Infrastructure-as-Code solutions with embedded and client software teams.
• Design automated build pipelines for:
• • Windows/Visual Studio toolchains
  • Linux/GNU embedded toolchains
  • Xilinx FPGA development tools
• Deploy an on-prem automated testing infrastructure, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing for embedded audio/video systems.

Long-Term Objectives

• Collaborate with engineering teams to design system health monitoring, logging, and metrics for both internal tools and on-aircraft systems.
• Develop and optimize over-the-air (OTA) update systems for embedded devices operating under constrained connectivity.
• Support cloud-based solutions for:
• • CVE and vulnerability tracking
  • Software dependency and supply-chain analysis
  • Log aggregation, monitoring, and anomaly detection
  • Scalable OTA distribution and device management

Additional Responsibilities

• Mentor engineers in automation, CI/CD, DevOps workflows, and best practices.
• Conduct code reviews for build scripts, deployment pipelines, and automation components.
• Maintain documentation for build, test, and deployment processes.
• Optimize compute and storage resources across CI/CD and testing infrastructure.
• Establish metrics for build performance, test coverage, and deployment success.
• Work with security teams to integrate secure development lifecycle (SDL) practices.

What will make you successful in this role (skills)

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of DevOps or automation experience, including:
• • Version control (Git, SVN)
  • CI/CD pipeline development (e.g., GitHub Actions, Jenkins)
  • Automated testing frameworks and infrastructure
  • Package management and software distribution
• Strong scripting and automation skills (Python, Bash, or similar).
• Experience working in embedded systems development environments.
• Demonstrated ability to design, implement, and maintain automated build and test systems.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with FPGA development workflows (especially Xilinx).
• Knowledge of HIL testing methodologies.
• Familiarity with artifact repository systems.
• Experience implementing OTA systems for embedded or IoT devices.
• Background in audio/video systems or high-performance embedded computing.
• Cloud experience (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Experience in mobile build/delivery processes (Android or iOS).

Technical Skills

Core DevOps & Automation

• Git, SVN
• GitHub Actions, Jenkins
• Linux & Windows environments
• Buildroot, Yocto
• Docker, Kubernetes
• Terraform, Ansible
• Python, Bash

Embedded & FPGA Support

• GNU Make, CMake
• Xilinx toolchains
• Automated regression & HIL testing

Binary Artifact & Security

• Artifact repositories
• CVE tracking and secure software supply chain practices

Perks and Benefits 

• A competitive compensation package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Opportunities to plan for the future with our 401(k) program.
• Paid Time Off - Take the well-deserved time off you need.
• Life Insurance - Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with life insurance coverage.
• Health and wellness benefits including Health Savings Account (HSA) option.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development within the company.
• Positive and inclusive work culture with a laid-back work environment that promotes a healthy work-life balance.
• Flexibility in your schedule to accommodate personal needs.

Why Join Us?

• Technical Excellence: Work with experts in embedded systems, audio/video distribution, and aviation technology.
• Innovative Culture: Be part of a team that values curiosity, continuous learning, and creative problem-solving.
• Meaningful Projects: Contribute to next-generation in-flight entertainment and data systems used in luxury aircraft.
• Professional Growth: Expand your skills through mentorship, hands-on development, and exposure to a wide range of technologies.
• Competitive Compensation: Enjoy a compensation package that reflects your experience and contributions.