Flight Control Engineer

Matchtech; West Yorkshire; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Matchtech is seeking a senior Flight Controls Engineer to join a start-up unmanned aircraft programme onsite or hybrid in the UK. You will take control laws from simulation through ground and flight test, shaping the autonomy stack for real-world UAV platforms.

You’ll develop and tune flight-control algorithms, verify performance from simulation to flight, configure autopilots, analyse flight-test data, and document validation evidence.

Qualifications

• Strong experience developing and testing control algorithms for real-world UAVs.
• Solid understanding of flight dynamics, stability, and tuning.
• Experience validating control systems from simulation to flight tests.

Responsibilities

• Develop and tune flight-control algorithms and control approaches for UAS platforms
• Verify and validate control performance from simulation to ground testing and flight testing
• Support flight dynamics modelling, control-law development, simulation and tuning
• Configure, integrate, and tune autopilot systems where appropriate
• Support system identification, flight-test planning, and flight-data analysis
• Contribute to SIL/HIL test approaches and troubleshooting (stability, sensor fusion, actuators)
• Document control approaches, test results, configuration changes, and validation evidence

Skills

Flight control systems

Autonomy / robotics

Aerospace controls

UAS/UAV experience

Flight dynamics understanding

Data analysis / validation

Autopilots / GNSS / INS

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace or Electrical Engineering

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

Simulators

Autopilot hardware

Job description

Onsite / Hybrid | Start-up | Novel unmanned aircraft programme

Note: No visa sponsorship is available for this role.

A start-up team is building a new unmanned aircraft platform and needs a senior, hands-on Flight Controls Engineer to take control laws from simulation through to ground and flight test.

What you’ll be doing

• Develop and tune flight-control algorithms and control approaches for UAS platforms
• Verify and validate control performance from simulation to ground testing and flight testing
• Support flight dynamics modelling, control-law development, simulation and tuning
• Configure, integrate, and tune autopilot systems where appropriate
• Support system identification, flight-test planning, and flight-data analysis
• Contribute to SIL/HIL test approaches and troubleshooting (stability, sensor fusion, actuators)
• Document control approaches, test results, configuration changes, and validation evidence

What we’re looking for

• Strong experience in flight control / control systems / autonomy / robotics / aerospace controls
• Proven experience developing and testing control algorithms for real-world systems
• Practical experience with UAS/UAVs, aircraft, robotics, or autonomous platforms
• Strong understanding of flight dynamics, control theory, stability and tuning
• Experience with modelling, simulation, testing and verification/validation
• Ability to analyse flight-test data and diagnose control issues
• Comfortable working with autopilots, IMUs, GNSS/INS, actuators and onboard systems
• Strong documentation and validation discipline

Nice to have

• Control-law development for unconventional aircraft / novel UAS platforms