Lead Flight Control Engineer

Skyfly Technologies Ltd; Banbury; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Job summary

Skyfly Technologies Ltd is seeking a Flight Control Engineer to own control logic and flight control law development for the Axe eVTOL platform. You will drive stabilization and transition strategies for piloted flight across hover and forward regimes.

Key work includes developing control laws, validating through SIL/PIL/HIL, and integrating with Embention Veronte autopilots. Cross-functional collaboration with systems, propulsion and avionics is essential for certification readiness.

Qualifications

• Experience developing flight control laws for eVTOL, UAV, rotorcraft or manned aircraft.
• Strong grounding in control theory (stability, transition dynamics, multirotor or hybrid configurations).
• Experience working with embedded flight control systems.
• Proficiency in MATLAB / Simulink and model-based control development.
• Experience integrating with third-party autopilot systems (Embention, PX4, ArduPilot).
• Formal aerospace software development exposure, ideally within DO-178 environments.
• Understanding of aerospace standards such as DO-178, DO-160 and DO-254.
• Experience within a structured aerospace development or certification framework.
• Ability to work independently and make sound engineering decisions.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Experience on manned aircraft programmes (fixed-wing, helicopter or piloted eVTOL).
• Experience supporting FAA certification activities.
• Experience preparing aircraft for first flight or hover/transition testing.
• Knowledge of US aerospace regulatory frameworks.
• Willingness to travel to US test locations (e.g. Florida or other FAA-aligned sites).

Responsibilities

• Develop and refine flight control laws for hover, transition and forward flight regimes.
• Lead stabilisation and control logic development for a piloted eVTOL aircraft.
• Support transition control theory development between vertical and wing-borne flight.
• Integrate and adapt control strategies within the Embention Veronte ecosystem.
• Use MATLAB/Simulink to design, validate and tune controllers.
• Conduct SIL, PIL and HIL validation activities prior to flight test.
• Support hover and transition flight testing, including test preparation and post-flight analysis.
• Collaborate with systems engineering for verification and traceability.
• Work with propulsion, structures and avionics teams on interactions.
• Contribute to certification-aligned development processes (FAA-focused).
• Support configuration control, documentation and change management using JIRA/Atlassian.
• Provide input into the Series 2 flight control architecture evolution.

Skills

Flight control theory

Embedded flight control

Independent decision making

Cross-functional collaboration

Aerospace standards knowledge

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

JIRA/Atlassian

PX4/ArduPilot

Embention

Job description

We are seeking a Flight Control Engineer to take ownership of control logic and flight control law development across the Axe eVTOL platform.

This role sits at the heart of aircraft performance and safety. You will be responsible for the development, validation and refinement of stabilisation and transition control strategies for a piloted, manned aircraft operating in hover and forward flight.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and refine flight control laws for hover, transition and forward flight regimes
• Lead stabilisation and control logic development for a piloted eVTOL aircraft
• Support transition control theory development between vertical and wing-borne flight
• Integrate and adapt control strategies within the Embention Veronte ecosystem
• Use modelling and simulation tools (e.g. MATLAB / Simulink) to design, validate and tune controllers
• Conduct SIL, PIL and HIL validation activities prior to flight test
• Support hover and transition flight testing, including test preparation and post-flight analysis
• Collaborate with systems engineering to ensure requirements traceability and verification
• Work closely with propulsion, structures and avionics teams to manage dynamic interactions
• Contribute to certification-aligned development processes (FAA-focused, early stage)
• Support configuration control, documentation and change management using modern collaboration tools (e.g. JIRA / Atlassian)
• Provide technical input into the redesign and evolution of the Series 2 flight control architecture

About You

You will be a confident flight control engineer who is comfortable taking ownership of a safety-critical domain within a small, focused team.

• Experience developing flight control laws for eVTOL, UAV, rotorcraft or manned aircraft
• Strong grounding in control theory (stability, transition dynamics, multirotor or hybrid configurations)
• Experience working with embedded flight control systems
• Proficiency in MATLAB / Simulink and model-based control development
• Experience integrating with third-party autopilot systems (e.g. Embention, PX4, Ardupilot or similar)
• Formal aerospace software development exposure, ideally within DO-178 environments
• Understanding of aerospace standards such as DO-178, DO-160 and DO-254
• Experience within a structured aerospace development or certification framework
• Ability to work independently and make sound engineering decisions
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills
• Experience on manned aircraft programmes (fixed-wing, helicopter or piloted eVTOL)
• Experience supporting FAA certification activities
• Experience preparing aircraft for first flight or hover/transition testing
• Knowledge of US aerospace regulatory frameworks
• Willingness to travel to US test locations (e.g. Florida or other FAA-aligned sites)

What Skyfly Offers

• The opportunity to own and shape flight controls on a piloted electric aircraft at a pivotal stage
• Direct involvement in Series 2 maiden flight preparation
• Exposure to hover, transition and certification-aligned development
• A visible, high-impact role within a focused aerospace start-up
• Competitive salary and benefits, commensurate with experience