BAE To Move Segments of Control and Avionics Unit to Texas

The move will bring an additional 100 jobs to Austin by 2023. It’s part of BAE’s $150 million investment in Austin, where the company said it would employ 1,400 workers in a 390,000-square-foot facility at Parmer Austin Business Park. Announced in 2020, the company said the location would primarily support U.S. Department of Defense customers.

The control and avionics division is being relocated from Endicott, New York, where it provides support for commercial aviation and various flight control and cabin management systems. BAE will recruit 75 power systems and controls engineers by the fourth quarter of this year to support those efforts and will add 25 by early 2023. Overall, with more than 700 employees already at the Austin campus in the Countermeasure and Electromagnetic Attack Solutions business area, the company says it plans to double its headcount over the next several years and is hosting job fairs in the last week of August and September to recruit.

BAE Systems’ Austin employees innovate for various autonomy, cyber, sensor development, and electronic warfare programs and manufacture those capabilities on the company’s factory floor. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Austin has become one of the fastest-growing metro areas over the last two years. BAE shared with FLYING that the city is an attractive location because of a “critical talent pipeline” because of “strong universities with good engineering programs.” It also says there’s room for growth on site so that workers can install needed labs.

“With the recent expansion to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Austin, we can grow our capabilities and engage new talent, particularly those with a background in safety-critical controls and power systems for aircraft,” the company told FLYING.

Already a leader in vehicle electrification, BAE is working to implement its technology in new markets, including air transport, regional jet, and urban air mobility. Last month at the Farnborough International Airshow in England, it expanded its partnership with the aircraft manufacturer Embraer [NYSE: ERJ] and its Eve eVTOL [NYSE: EVE] subsidiary with plans to purchase 150 of the forthcoming aircraft. 

“We are validating electric technology for airborne applications by proving viability through ground testing and implementing a strategy to address aviation challenges, optimize production, and minimize risk,” the company said. “We believe that the diversity and depth of talent in Austin can help us to accelerate our mission of bringing electrified solutions to the aviation market, reduce the carbon emission footprint, and work towards a cleaner form of air transportation.”

BAE says it now looks to welcome the forthcoming engineering team to continue developing safety-critical controls and power systems development for the aviation markets.