Flight Physics Lead: Aero Dynamics & Controls

AALTO; Farnborough; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Private medical insurance

Dental and optical cash back

Personal pension plan

Income protection and life assurance

Vehicle salary-sacrifice scheme

Employee assistance programme

Perkbox employee discounts

Job summary

AALTO, the Airbus Zephyr program subsidiary in Farnborough, seeks a Head of Flight Physics to lead aero‑dynamic and flight dynamics disciplines, design verification, and certification activities for the Zephyr platform.

You will mentor a team of three flight physics specialists, collaborate with Meteorology SMEs, and define simulations and robust onboard control laws to ensure safe, compliant flight.

Qualifications

• Engineering or Physics degree with proven experience.
• Experience with unmanned autonomous air systems.
• Familiarity with Flight Physics role within a wider Aerospace Company.
• Familiarity with Flight Control Clearance processes with a Certifying Authority.
• Demonstrable experience turning a system requirement into a complete design solution.
• Algorithm architecture and detailed design documentation writing skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of aeroelastic, flight dynamics and aero loads models, collaborating with SMEs and wider Airbus teams.
• Manage and develop the Flight Physics Team.
• Collaborate with Meteorology SMEs to capture environmental conditions and limits.
• Define and run computer simulations for Zephyr platforms (MATLAB/Simulink, CFD).
• Define robust contingency control laws to maintain safe flight.
• Define control laws & architecture for on-board automation systems (Flight Controls, Navigation, Sensor Management).
• Avoid over/under-specification; ensure software requirements are implemented to quality criteria.
• Establish qualification/verification processes through development, flight test.
• Create engineering design data packs, flight clearance reports and flight manual content.

Skills

Engineering or Physics degree

Unmanned autonomous air systems

Flight Physics in aerospace

Flight control clearance processes

System requirements to design solution

Algorithm architecture & design docs

Education

Engineering or Physics degree

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

CFD/FEA tools

Job description

AALTO, the Airbus Zephyr program subsidiary in Farnborough, seeks a Head of Flight Physics to lead aero‑dynamic and flight dynamics disciplines, design verification, and certification activities for the Zephyr platform.

You will mentor a team of three flight physics specialists, collaborate with Meteorology SMEs, and define simulations and robust onboard control laws to ensure safe, compliant flight.