Flight Control Systems Engineer

Saab UK; Bedford; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Saab UK, part of a leading defence innovator, is seeking a Flight Control Systems Engineer in Bedfordshire to develop, validate and deploy safety-critical flight software for autonomous aircraft. You will work with MATLAB/Simulink to create control laws, verify with bespoke simulations, and perform real-world testing at a nearby facility.

The role emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration, adherence to safety standards, and ongoing process improvement.

Qualifications

• Degree in aerospace engineering or similar.
• Understanding of aerodynamics and flight mechanics and their impact on flight control.
• Experience in using MATLAB/Simulink for developing algorithms and control laws.
• Hands-on experience in designing and commissioning control systems.
• Existing SC Clearance.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain and test safety-critical software for flight systems.
• Contribute to requirements definition and deploy software to target hardware.
• Conduct real-world flight testing at the test facility near the office.
• Present testing findings in reports or customer-facing presentations.

Skills

SC Clearance

Communication

Teamwork

Problem solving

Education

Degree in aerospace engineering or similar

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Stateflow

Simulink Coder

Embedded Coder

Git

C++

Java

Python

DO-178

ED-20x

Job description

Introduction:

Saab UK is part of Scandinavia's largest defence company, bringing together the best of Swedish and British innovation. Saab offers world-leading solutions and services in defence, aviation, space, and civil security to keep people and society safe. Our UK presence has been growing at pace, meaning we can offer a wide range of opportunities for personal fulfilment and career growth. We currently employ over 600 people across eight sites in the UK, and our specialisations include software engineering, underwater robotics, radars, AI, and armed forces training.

The Role:

This role is part of Saab Bluebear Business in Bedfordshire. It will be reporting into the Head of Digital Systems Engineering.

In this exciting, dynamic role you will support a mixture of R&D and product development activities within a leading autonomy and unmanned systems company. Blue Bear continuously innovates within the core area of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS/UAV) such as flight management systems, autopilots, mission systems, ground control stations, and all supporting systems and infrastructure.

Your role as a Flight Control Systems Engineer will involve developing, maintaining and testing safety critical software that contribute to the flight systems of our aircraft. You will contribute to requirements definition, and use MATLAB/Simulink tools to generate software such as novel flight control laws and data manipulation algorithms. After verification and validation performed using bespoke simulations, you will then be expected deploy the software on to the target hardware, and conduct real world flight testing at our test facility less than 1km from the office. You may be asked to present the findings of the testing in reports or customer facing presentations.

As well as undertaking technical tasks, you will be expected to take an active role in the team. This will include contribution to the development of standard operating processes, continuous improvement of methods and techniques, and ensuring quality targets are satisfied.

Working as part of a team in a multidisciplinary environment you will have good communication skills. A can-do attitude and a genuine passion for innovative technology. The opportunity will enable the successful candidate to gain knowledge of cutting-edge autonomous systems and offer a large scope for career development.

Qualifications & Skills:

Essential:

• Degree in aerospace engineering or similar.
• Understanding of aerodynamics and flight mechanics, and their impact on flight control.
• Experience in using MATLAB/Simulink for developing algorithms and control laws.
• Hands-on experience in designing and commissioning control systems.
• Existing SC Clearance.

Desirable:

• Experience designing and implementing guidance, navigation and control algorithms for fixed and/or rotary wing vehicles.
• Knowledge of state-of-the-art for sensing systems.
• Hands-on experience with small UAS.
• Mathworks' Stateflow, Simulink Coder and Embedded Coder packages.
• Experience developing mathematical algorithms e.g. Data fusion, state estimation etc.
• Experience working with embedded systems, real-time systems, safety critical systems.
• Knowledge of communication systems.
• Version control systems e.g. git.
• C++, Java, Python development skills.
• Experience with quality standards for software (e.g. DO-178, ED-20x).

As a National Security Vetting clearance is required for this role, applicants will be required to hold National Security Vetting clearance to SC level or have the ability to gain it.

By submitting an application to Saab UK you consent to undertaking workforce screening activities that may include but are not limited to: Baseline Personnel Security checks, National Security Vetting, reference checks, verification of working rights and in all circumstances preferred candidates will be placed through a security interview.