Flight Controls Engineer

DSJ Global; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

DSJ Global partners with an innovative aerospace company in the Greater Philadelphia Area seeking a senior controls engineer. You will design flight control systems, develop autopilot capabilities, and build high-fidelity simulations for flight testing.

You will refine control laws for aircraft/UAVs/rotorcraft, collaborate with software and flight test teams, and contribute to mission-critical systems across the development lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering.
• 8+ years of experience in aerospace controls, autonomous systems, robotics, or related fields.
• U.S. citizenship required.
• Strong experience with MATLAB/Simulink, Python, C/C++, flight controls, GNC, flight dynamics, and simulation.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop flight control systems, autopilot functionality, and autonomous vehicle behaviors.
• Create and refine control laws for advanced aircraft and rotorcraft applications.
• Build and enhance high-fidelity simulation environments, including HIL and SIL testing.
• Perform flight dynamics, stability, and control analyses.
• Develop and execute verification and validation plans for flight-critical systems.
• Collaborate closely with software, systems, and flight test engineers throughout the development lifecycle.
• Support aircraft integration activities and flight testing efforts.

Skills

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

C/C++

Flight controls

Guidance, Navigation & Control

Flight dynamics

Simulation

Control laws

Education

Bachelors in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Location: Greater Philadelphia Area (Onsite)
Citizenship Requirement: U.S. Citizen
Industry: Aerospace, Advanced Air Mobility, Defense Technology

Shape the Future of Flight

We're partnering with an innovative aerospace company developing next-generation aircraft, autonomous flight technologies, and advanced aviation systems. Their engineers work at the cutting edge of flight controls, autonomy, simulation, and aircraft development, helping bring revolutionary concepts from research and design into real-world flight test programs.

This is an opportunity to join a highly technical, multidisciplinary team where you'll have a direct impact on the design, implementation, and testing of mission-critical flight systems. Rather than supporting legacy products, you'll be helping develop the future of aviation.

What You'll Be Doing

• Design and develop flight control systems, autopilot functionality, and autonomous vehicle behaviors
• Create and refine control laws for advanced aircraft and rotorcraft applications
• Build and enhance high-fidelity simulation environments, including Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) and Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) testing
• Perform flight dynamics, stability, and control analyses
• Develop and execute verification and validation plans for flight-critical systems
• Collaborate closely with software, systems, and flight test engineers throughout the development lifecycle
• Support aircraft integration activities and flight testing efforts

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering
• Approximately 8+ years of experience in aerospace controls, autonomous systems, robotics, or related fields
• Must be a US citizen
• Strong experience with:
• MATLAB/Simulink
• Python
• C/C++
• Flight controls
• Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC)
• Flight dynamics and simulation
• Experience developing control laws for aircraft, UAVs, rotorcraft, eVTOLs, or other autonomous vehicles