Simulation Engineer

Future Talent Group; Shaftesbury; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Future Talent Group in Shaftesbury is seeking a Simulation Engineer to own the UAV simulation environment. You will model aircraft behaviour, run SITL/HITL testing, and validate autopilot and mission logic before flight tests.

The role supports GNC, software and flight-test teams, using MATLAB/Simulink to build and maintain models, and collaborating on MAVLink-based interfaces.

Qualifications

• Strong experience with MATLAB and Simulink.
• Hands-on experience with ArduPilot and Mission Planner.
• Working knowledge of the MAVLink protocol.
• Understanding of flight dynamics, control systems or autonomous vehicle behaviour.
• Enjoys connecting simulation to real-world test data.

Responsibilities

• Build and own aircraft and system models in MATLAB/Simulink.
• Run SITL and HITL simulation for flight systems.
• Simulate and test missions using Mission Planner.
• Integrate simulation with flight controllers and ground systems; feed results to teams.

Skills

MATLAB

Simulink

Flight dynamics

Control systems

Autonomous vehicles

Simulation

Tools

ArduPilot

Mission Planner

MAVLink

SITL

HITL

Job description

Simulation Engineer

Shaftesbury

Hybrid, 3 days a week in office

£40,000 - £80,000

Would you like to fly an aircraft a thousand times before it ever leaves the ground? Do you enjoy building the models that tell the rest of the team whether their design will actually work?

This innovator designs, develops and manufactures British-engineered unmanned aircraft systems and propulsion technology for leading defence and aerospace organisations. With design, prototyping, testing and manufacturing all under one roof, they take products from concept to production in weeks rather than years. It’s now building a brand-new UAV engineering team, and simulation will be key to how quickly that team can move.

The role

You’ll build and own the simulation environment that the rest of the engineering team relies on. That includes modelling aircraft behaviour, running software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing, and validating autopilot and mission behaviour before it reaches flight test. Your work will directly decide how much risk is taken out of each flight and how fast new platforms can be developed.

What you’ll be doing

• Building and maintaining aircraft and system models in MATLAB/Simulink
• Running SITL and HITL simulation for ArduPilot-based flight systems
• Simulating and testing missions using Mission Planner
• Working with MAVLink to integrate simulation with flight controllers and ground systems
• Feeding results back to the GNC, software and flight test teams

What we’re looking for

• Strong experience with MATLAB and Simulink
• Hands-on experience with ArduPilot and Mission Planner
• A working knowledge of the MAVLink protocol
• An understanding of flight dynamics, control systems or autonomous vehicle behaviour
• Someone who enjoys connecting simulation to real-world test data

UAV experience is a real plus, but engineers from aerospace, automotive, robotics or other simulation-heavy environments would also be a strong fit. We're open to engineers at all levels.