Flight Controls Systems Engineer

Findrs; Leeds; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

EMI share options

Job summary

Findrs is seeking an aerospace technology engineer to advance flight-control algorithms from modelling and simulation to ground testing and into real flight. You will drive stability and controllability improvements for unmanned aircraft and autonomous platforms, ensuring safe, repeatable deployment.

You will apply control theory to practical flight tests, work with PX4 or ArduPilot, and collaborate across avionics, software, and test teams to validate performance using real-world data.

Qualifications

• Experience developing and testing control algorithms on real aircraft, UAS, robots or autonomous platforms.
• Understanding flight dynamics, control theory, stability and tuning.
• Familiarity with autopilots, IMUs, GNSS/INS, actuators and onboard systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop control laws, flight-dynamics models and simulation approaches.
• Configure, integrate and tune autopilot systems.
• Support guidance, navigation and control integration, system identification and flight-data analysis.
• Develop software- and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Diagnose stability, sensor-fusion and actuator issues.
• Support ground tests, tethered tests, field trials and flight testing.
• Build documentation and validation evidence for dependable systems.

Skills

Control algorithms

Flight dynamics

Autopilot systems

ROS/ROS2

Python

C/C++

Rust

Kalman filtering

State estimation

Tools

PX4

ArduPilot

Job description

£50,000-£80,000 depending on experience + EMI share options

How do you keep an aircraft stable when you're pushing the limits of where it can fly?

You'll help answer that question.

Joining an aerospace technology business developing advanced unmanned aircraft, you'll take flight-control algorithms from modelling and simulation through ground testing and into real flight.

If you enjoy connecting control theory with what an aircraft actually does, this is your opportunity to own that journey.

See your work take flight.

You'll develop novel control approaches that make aircraft stable, controllable and ready for safe, repeatable deployment.

You'll:

• Develop control laws, flight-dynamics models and simulation approaches.
• Configure, integrate and tune autopilot systems.
• Support guidance, navigation and control integration, system identification and flight-data analysis.
• Develop software- and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Diagnose stability, sensor-fusion and actuator issues.
• Support ground tests, tethered tests, field trials and flight testing.
• Build the documentation and validation evidence needed to turn successful experiments into dependable systems.

You'll work alongside engineers across avionics, aerospace design, software, operations and test. As a priority technical hire, you'll make a direct contribution to how the aircraft performs.

You know how to make the theory work in practice.

You'll bring experience developing and testing control algorithms on real aircraft, UAS, robotics or autonomous platforms.

You understand flight dynamics, control theory, stability and tuning. You're comfortable working with autopilots, IMUs, GNSS/INS, actuators and onboard systems - and using test data to understand why something isn't behaving as expected.

You care about proving your solution works through disciplined testing, validation and documentation.

Experience with PX4 or ArduPilot would be particularly useful. ROS/ROS2, Python, C/C++, Rust, state estimation, Kalman filtering or experience with multirotor, VTOL and unconventional aircraft would also be valuable. You don't need every one.