Engineer VI

General Atomics; El Segundo (CA); Hybrid; USD 116,000 - 209,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9/80 schedule

Medical

Employer-matched 401(k)

Pension plan

Employee referral program

Job summary

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. seeks a senior Flight Controls Engineer in the San Diego area. You will lead the design and development of flight control laws for next‑gen UAV platforms, translating flight physics into MATLAB/Simulink models for real‑time simulation and code generation.

The role involves cross‑disciplinary collaboration across Systems, Software, Mechanical, and Electrical teams, and requires strong communication skills. A DoD Secret clearance is required or obtainable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in engineering with broad experience (7–12+ yrs for bachelor, 10+ for master's, 7+ for PhD).
• Background in aerodynamics, control systems, and aircraft dynamics.
• MATLAB/Simulink modeling, simulation, and analysis of linear and nonlinear systems.
• Strong knowledge of classical/modern control theory and filtering techniques.
• Flight control design experience for fixed/rotary wing or missiles.
• Ability to design Simulink models for code generation and integrate with C/C++ code.
• Self-motivated, organized, and able to meet deadlines; works well cross-functionally.
• Must be able to obtain DoD Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• Perform GNC tasks across all phases of new aircraft development, including requirements and design.
• Translate flight dynamics into MATLAB/Simulink for real-time simulation and code generation.
• Design discrete flight control laws and perform stability analyses.
• Verify and validate embedded control laws on simulated hardware and test setups.
• Develop analytic tools for novel aircraft configurations as needed.
• Participate in design reviews, test readiness reviews, and briefings with stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Systems, Software, Mechanical, and Electrical teams to solve complex challenges.

Skills

Strong communication

Team collaboration

Self-motivation

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in engineering

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Stateflow

Python

C/C++

Job description

Job Summary:

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a world leader in proven, reliable remotely piloted aircraft and tactical reconnaissance radars, as well as advanced high-resolution surveillance systems.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Flight Controls Engineer in the San Diego (Poway, CA) area. In this position, you will play an active role in the design and development of flight controls for cutting-edge next generation unmanned aircraft platforms. Responsibilities include control law design and analysis, physics model generation, and code verification and validation. These responsibilities can span the entire lifecycle of a new aircraft development program, from requirements refinement to detailed design to prototype flight tests. You will have the chance to contribute to a broad swath of novel aircraft platforms ranging from Small Unmanned Air Systems (SUAS) to Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). This position offers competitive benefits, including 9/80 work schedule, medical, dental, employer-matched 401(k), pension plan, employee referral program, and more.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Perform GNC-related tasks for all phases of a new aircraft development program, including use case refinement, requirements development, clean-sheet design, software integration and validation, flight test planning, and analysis of flight data through prototype flight tests.
• Translate the physics of flight control avionics, aerodynamic characteristics, and mass properties of a conceptual aircraft into MATLAB scripts and Simulink models for real-time simulation and automatic code generation.
• Design discrete flight control laws, continually performing stability and flying qualities analyses.
• Independently verify and validate the embedded control law software on the simulated and actual hardware.
• Support development of analytic tools as needed for novel aircraft configurations.
• Participate in internal and customer-facing design reviews, test readiness reviews, flight briefings, and technical interchange meetings.
• Collaborate among peers, as part of a multi-disciplinary team (Systems, Software, Mechanical, and Electrical engineering), to solve unique and complex engineering challenges.

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.

Job Qualifications:

• Typically requires a bachelors degree, masters degree or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution and progressive engineering experience as follows; twelve or more years of experience with a bachelors degree, ten or more years of experience with a masters degree, or seven or more years with a PhD. May substitute equivalent engineering experience in lieu of education.
• Relevant background in the areas of low- and high-speed aerodynamics, control systems, and aircraft dynamics.
• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink modeling, simulation, and analysis of linear and nonlinear dynamic systems.
• Strong knowledge of classical and modern control theory, lower order modeling, and filtering techniques.
• Experience with flight control design and analysis for fixed and rotary wing aircraft or missile systems.
• Experience designing Simulink models for code generation and integration into an established C/C++ codebase.
• Ability to self-motivate and self-organize to achieve program established deadlines; proactively working independently and collaborating with other disciplines and seeking out help when appropriate.
• Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills to effectively interface with other departments, customers, and/or government representatives.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret security clearance is required.

DESIRED SKILLS / QUALIFICATIONS:

• Familiarity with Stateflow, Python, and/or C/C++.
• Exposure to adjacent technical areas, including Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), aerodynamics and performance, mass property analysis, servo-mechanical modeling, and/or aircraft structures.
• Active DoD Secret, or higher, security clearance.

Job Category:

Engineering

Experience Level:

Senior (8+ years)

Workstyle:

Hybrid

Full-Time/Part-Time:

Full-Time Salary

Pay Range Low:

116,480

Pay Range High:

208,505

Travel Percentage Required:

0% - 25%

Relocation Assistance Provided?:

Yes

US Citizenship Required?:

Yes

Clearance Required?:

Desired

Clearance Level:

Secret

General Atomics is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, gender, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, transitioning status, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, medical condition, mental disability, physical disability, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law. In accordance with applicable federal law, General Atomics takes affirmative action to employ and advance the employment of qualified protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. We also prohibit compensation discrimination under all applicable laws. U.S. Citizenship is required for certain positions. To learn more, please review the EEOC’s "Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal" poster.