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

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 an Advanced Programs 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 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-facings 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; six or more years of experience with a bachelors degree, four or more years of experience with a masters degree, or two 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.
• 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

• 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.
• Familiarity with Stateflow, Python, and/or C/C++.
• Exposure to adjacent technical areas, including Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), aerodynamics and performance, and/or aircraft structures.

Job Type: Full-Time Salary

Salary range: 98,100 - 171,398