Advanced UAV Flight Controls Engineer

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems; Poway (CA); On-site; USD 98,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9/80 work schedule

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

401(k) employer match

Pension plan

Employee referral program

Job summary

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. seeks an Advanced Programs Flight Controls Engineer in the San Diego/Poway area to design and develop next‑gen unmanned aircraft platforms.

You will work on control laws, physics models, and code verification across the lifecycle, with cross‑discipline collaboration and reviews. Responsibilities include producing MATLAB/Simulink models for real‑time simulation, performing stability analyses, and verifying embedded software on hardware.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in engineering or related field with progressively more experience.
• Background in aero dynamics, control systems, and aircraft dynamics.
• MATLAB/Simulink modeling, simulation, and analysis of linear and nonlinear systems.
• Strong knowledge of classical and modern control theory, modeling and filtering.
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines while collaborating with other disciplines.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for interface with departments and government.
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain DoD Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• GNC tasks across all phases of a new aircraft development program.
• Translate flight control physics into MATLAB/Simulink for real-time simulation.
• Design discrete flight control laws and perform stability analyses.
• Verify and validate embedded control software on simulated and real hardware.
• Support analytic tools development for novel aircraft configurations.
• Participate in design reviews, test readiness, and technical meetings.
• Collaborate with Systems, Software, Mechanical, and Electrical teams to solve challenges.

Skills

Flight control design

C/C++ integration

Stateflow/Python/C/C++ familiarity

CFD/aerodynamics exposure

Independent work

Education

Engineering degree (BS/MS/PhD) from accredited institution

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. seeks an Advanced Programs Flight Controls Engineer in the San Diego/Poway area to design and develop next‑gen unmanned aircraft platforms.

You will work on control laws, physics models, and code verification across the lifecycle, with cross‑discipline collaboration and reviews. Responsibilities include producing MATLAB/Simulink models for real‑time simulation, performing stability analyses, and verifying embedded software on hardware.