Flight Controls Engineer

Vertical Aerospace; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days holiday

Bank holidays

Company performance based bonus

Company Share Scheme

Company Pension Scheme – 5% matched

Breakfast every day

Job summary

Vertical Aerospace is seeking a Flight Controls Engineer to lead development of the control laws for Valo, our eVTOL program. You will own significant areas of the control-law design, coordinating with flight dynamics, systems, software and test teams to deliver a certifiable solution.

You will apply strong controls fundamentals, DO-331/model-based engineering, and certification experience to navigate through requirements capture, design, verification, testing and certification.

Qualifications

• Strong grounding in classical control theory and practical aircraft applications.
• Extensive experience with flight-control laws or GNC.
• Hands-on MATLAB/Simulink with model-based design.
• Familiarity with aerospace standards (ARP-4754B, DO-178C, DO-331).

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and deliver flight control laws for Valo.
• Lead a significant area of control-law development across engineering teams.
• Develop and evaluate control-law design using MATLAB/Simulink and model-based approaches.
• Coordinate with flight dynamics, systems, software, simulation, testing and pilots to deliver integrated solutions.
• Support definition and validation of the FCL programme plan.
• Engage with cross-functional engineering challenges to resolve issues.
• Make sound engineering decisions balancing performance, complexity, and certification needs.

Skills

Classical control theory

Flight-control laws

GNC

Fixed-wing/rotary-wing experience

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

MATLAB

Simulink

Model-based design

DO-331

ARP-4754B/DO-178C/DO-331 standards

Job description

Our Mission

At Vertical Aerospace, we are pioneering the way for electric aviation. The Valo, our eVTOL (electric, vertical, take-off and landing), ‘zero emissions’ aircraft will set a new safety standard for how we will navigate the sky.

We won’t realise our mission following the same legacy processes and traditions our predecessors followed, instead, we want to ‘redefine’ aerospace best practices. We are growing quickly from a prototype business to a scaling SME, and the next few years will be critical to our success and delivering on our ambitious goals. Valo is targeting airliner-level safety certification in 2029 ahead of entering service with our airline and operator customers.

As a Flight Controls Engineer, you’ll take a leading technical role in developing the control laws for Valo. You’ll apply strong controls fundamentals and practical aircraft certification programme experience to solve novel engineering challenges, working from early requirements capture and validation through to design, testing and certification and modelling through testing and certification.

You will hold technical ownership of a significant area of the control-law development and coordination of its delivery across multiple engineering disciplines. You’ll have the opportunity to influence important technical decisions on a novel aircraft programme moving at pace towards certification.

What You’ll Do

• Design, develop and deliver flight control laws for Valo.


• Lead a significant area of control law development from initial requirements capture and validation through to design, verification, flight testing and certification including the co-ordination of technical delivery and interfacing with relevant engineering teams.


• Develop and evaluate the control-law design using MATLAB, Simulink and model-based engineering approaches.


• Work closely with engineers across flight dynamics, systems, software, simulation, testing, certification and our test pilots to deliver an integrated solution.


• Use your certification programme experience to support definition and validation of the FCL programme plan


• Engage with technical challenges beyond your immediate specialism, helping resolve complex cross-functional engineering problems.


• Make sound engineering decisions where information may be incomplete, balancing technical performance, complexity, certification and programme needs.

What You’ll Bring

• A strong grounding in classical control theory and extensive practical experience applying it to fixed wing or rotary wing aircraft.


• 10+ years of relevant engineering professional experience in flight-control laws or GNC.


• Substantial hands‑on experience with MATLAB and Simulink, including model‑based design and development (DO-331).


• Knowledge and practical experience with aerospace standards including ARP-4754B, DO-178C, DO-331.


• Experience working on an aircraft development and certification programme (e.g. CS-23, CS-25, CS-27, CS-29 or equivalent) with an understanding of how flight controls progress through design, verification, testing and certification.


• Comfortable working effectively across engineering disciplines, able to communicate technical decisions clearly and contribute beyond your immediate area of expertise.


• Experience of modern control techniques would be beneficial.


• Relevant experience may come from fixed-wing aircraft, rotorcraft or other complex GNC applications where safety, control performance and rigorous development are critical.

What can you expect from us?

We’re on a mission. Where others see limits, we see opportunity, and we work at pace. Working at Vertical isn’t your average role but for those seeking a challenge, a flexible, supportive organisation and an incredible team; working here is an opportunity to do the best work of your career.

Our approach promotes ingenuity and courage, while our environment builds success through diligence in safety and being open in the way we work. The only way we’re going to assure the next chapter of aviation history is by working as a team, relentlessly, towards our goal.

Our benefits

Our people matter – we’re not going anywhere without them. Which is why our company benefits go beyond the essentials.

• 26 days holiday, plus bank holiday


• 5 extra days per year to buy (or sell)


• 5 extra days holiday when you get married or enter a civil partnership


• Additional 4% of your salary to spend on extra benefits


• Award‑winning digital health and wellbeing service (Help@Hand)


• Company performance based bonus – rewarding company and individual performance


• Company Share Scheme – open to every Vertical employee


• Company Pension Scheme – 5% and we match it


• Breakfast on us, every day

We may just be the hardest job you’ve ever had, but we’re confident it will be the most rewarding. Join the team today and help us shape the future of Advanced Air Mobility.

Disclaimer Statement

We encourage you to apply even if you may not have all the experience listed in the advert. We recognise that talent comes in various forms and we are committed to providing opportunities that create an environment of growth, diversity, and inclusion for everyone. As part of our desire to review and make our processes fair, we may ask you questions related to these aspects during the application process. For more information on how we will use your data, see our Legal section.