Senior Staff Engineer, Flight Controls - X-BAT (R4812)

What you'll do

• Design and deliver the flight control system across all phases of flight including control allocation strategies that manage actuator redundancy, saturation, and degraded operations.
• Lead development of high-fidelity 6DOF simulation environments and ensure accurate pre-flight performance predictions
• Define and execute the verification strategy, including linear analysis, Monte Carlo campaigns, disturbance/sensitivity/degraded operation testing, and HIL validation
• Diagnose and resolve simulation-to-flight mismatches, including unidentified dynamics and modeling gaps
• Support flight test operations, making risk-informed decisions and driving rapid iteration between flights
• Integrate control systems with propulsion, aero, actuation, sensors, state estimation, and autonomy, ensuring the vehicle behaves predictably under real-world disturbances and uncertainties
• Mentor and guide engineers while setting the technical standard for control system performance and rigor

Required qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in flight controls / GNC on real flight vehicles, with demonstrated ownership from design through flight test
• Demonstrated experience with control allocation design and implementation for over-actuated systems with provisions for saturation and failure accommodation.
• Strong background in:
  • Flight dynamics and 6DOF simulation
  • Control theory and nonlinear systems
• Experience executing full V&V cycles, including pre-flight performance prediction, Monte Carlo analysis, flight readiness assessment, and post-flight analysis
• Proficiency in C++, MATLAB/Simulink, and/or Python, with experience deploying real-time algorithms
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

Preferred qualifications

• VTOL or transition aircraft experience where control blending and allocation were critical to success
• Autonomous systems or missile/UAV GNC background
• Experience with flight safety, airworthiness, and mission assurance
• Familiarity with:
  • Sensor and air data systems
  • Fault-tolerant or adaptive control
  • CI/CD pipelines and modern DevSecOps practices
• Experience with HIL or integrated simulation/test environments and Linux-based development workflows (Git, etc.)
• Experience operating in rapid development environments with tight iteration loops between simulation and test