Principal Engineer - Guidance & Control

ADASI; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

ADASI, based in Abu Dhabi, seeks a Principal Engineer - Guidance & Control to lead design, development, and verification of guidance algorithms, flight-control laws, and autopilot functions for advanced aerospace platforms.

You will perform control-system analysis, simulations, SIL/PIL/HIL, and work with multidisciplinary teams to deliver safe, high-performance solutions, mentoring engineers and ensuring safety and airworthiness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace or related engineering field.
• 10+ years of aerospace or safety-critical control-system experience.
• Hands-on experience in control-law design and autopilot functions.
• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink.
• Ability to lead engineering activities independently.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of guidance algorithms, control laws, autopilot functions, and control-allocation systems.
• Perform flight-dynamics modelling, stability analysis, robustness assessment, and nonlinear simulations.
• Develop and validate control solutions using MATLAB/Simulink and relevant tools.
• Conduct verification and validation through simulation, SIL/PIL/HIL, ground testing, and flight testing.
• Investigate control-system anomalies and discrepancies between simulation and test.
• Ensure requirements traceability and compliance with safety and airworthiness requirements.
• Lead technical work packages, conduct engineering reviews, and mentor other engineers.

Skills

Control-law design

Guidance systems

Autopilot functions

Control allocation

Flight dynamics

Control theory

Nonlinear simulation

Engineering leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, Aeronautical, Electrical, Mechanical, Control Engineering, Robotics, Applied Mathematics

Master’s or PhD in Guidance, Control Systems, Aerospace Engineering, Flight Control, Robotics

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

C/C++

Stateflow

Embedded real-time systems

Job description

At EDGE bold ideas are engineered into technologies that protect, improve and save lives.

Headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, EDGE is a leading advanced technology group working at the forefront of defence and emerging technologies. Spanning more than 35 specialised companies and multiple centres of excellence, we are purpose-built to move fast. Free from heavy legacy processes, we give our people the autonomy, accountability, and agility to bring breakthrough technologies from concept to reality.

Based in Abu Dhabi, a globally connected hub at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, EDGE is home to a truly multicultural community where bold ideas thrive, and the future is shaped.

Together, we are shaping the future.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Headquartered in the UAE, ADASI is a reliable end-to-end solution provider within the autonomous systems industry, with a stronghold in the MENA region. Focused on the further development and evolution of our core activities, we constantly strive to develop and strengthen our customer’s technological capabilities.

Identifying the need for autonomous systems in the defence sector, we create robust unmanned systems that are capable of performing challenging and strategically demanding tasks. We deliver this by tailoring our level of expertise and creative ideas to merge with the latest innovations and technological advancements

We are seeking an experienced Principal Engineer - Guidance & Control to lead the design, development, and verification of guidance algorithms, flight-control laws, and autopilot functions for advanced aerospace and defence platforms. The role involves complex control-system analysis, simulation, and validation, working closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams to deliver safe, stable, and high-performance solutions.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the design and development of guidance algorithms, control laws, autopilot functions, and control-allocation systems.
• Perform flight-dynamics modelling, stability analysis, robustness assessment, and nonlinear simulations.
• Develop and validate control solutions using MATLAB/Simulink and relevant engineering tools.
• Conduct verification and validation through simulation, SIL/PIL/HIL, ground testing, and flight testing.
• Investigate control-system anomalies, performance issues, and simulation-to-test discrepancies.
• Ensure requirements traceability, technical documentation, and compliance with applicable safety and airworthiness requirements.
• Lead technical work packages, conduct engineering reviews, and mentor other engineers.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, Aeronautical, Electrical, Mechanical, Control Engineering, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of relevant aerospace or safety-critical control-system engineering experience.
• Strong hands-on experience in control-law design, guidance systems, autopilot functions, or control allocation.
• Solid understanding of flight dynamics, control theory, stability, robustness, and nonlinear simulation.
• Practical experience with MATLAB/Simulink or equivalent engineering tools.
• Experience in control-system verification, simulation, and testing.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex engineering activities independently.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree or PhD in Guidance, Control Systems, Aerospace Engineering, Flight Control, Robotics, or a related field.
• Experience with aircraft, UAVs, missiles, spacecraft, or other dynamic aerospace platforms.
• Knowledge of advanced control techniques, gain scheduling, uncertainty analysis, and guidance algorithms.
• Experience with Python, C/C++, Stateflow, and embedded real-time systems.
• Exposure to SIL/PIL/HIL, ground testing, flight testing, and simulation-to-test correlation.
• Familiarity with aerospace safety, airworthiness, software assurance, and configuration-management processes.
• Experience mentoring engineers and supporting technical design reviews.