# Senior Staff Engineer, Flight Controls - X-BAT (R4812)
**Company:** [Shield AI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/shield-ai)
**Location:** Dallas, TX
**Salary:** $220K-$340K
**Experience:** 10+ years
**Skills:** C++, MATLAB, Simulink, Python, 6Dof Simulation, Control Theory, Gnc, Flight Dynamics, Monte Carlo Analysis, Hil, CI/CD, Git, Linux
**Posted:** 2026-04-15
> Owns flight control system design, development, and verification for XBAT VTOL aircraft, ensuring stable performance across all flight phases. Leads simulations, testing, integration with vehicle systems, and mentors engineers; requires 10+ years GNC experience on real vehicles.
## Job Description
## 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
**Apply:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/senior-staff-engineer-flight-controls-x-bat-r4812-at-shield-ai-4848979b-3869-4d74-9000-8910bb76bdf6
**Canonical:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/senior-staff-engineer-flight-controls-x-bat-r4812-at-shield-ai-4848979b-3869-4d74-9000-8910bb76bdf6