Flight Controls Engineer — Fixed-Wing UAVs

Mach Industries; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plans

Professional development

Job summary

Mach Industries in Los Angeles seeks a control systems engineer to design and validate flight control laws for fixed‑wing aircraft or high‑performance UAVs. You will own portions of the aircraft design, implement control algorithms, and participate in wind tunnel, CFD, and flight tests to ensure robust performance across the full envelope.

The role requires knowledge of flight dynamics, actuator modeling, and embedded C++.

Qualifications

• Bachelors in Engineering, Physics, Mathematics.
• 0‑5 years designing, analyzing and fielding flight control systems for fixed‑wing aircraft or high‑performance UAVs, including flight test.
• Deep knowledge of flight dynamics, stability/controllability, and actuator/sensor modeling.
• Familiarity with modern C++ for embedded real‑time implementations; MATLAB/Simulink/Python for modeling, ID, and analysis.
• Familiarity with verification workflows (SIL/HIL), requirements traceability, and safety reviews.
• Familiarity with modern software workflows (git, code review, issue tracking) and data/telemetry analysis.

Responsibilities

• Design control systems within defined architecture and requirements for fixed‑wing vehicles.
• Design and implement control laws accounting for actuator limits, time delays, and sensor noise.
• Participate in system identification and aerodynamic model development from wind‑tunnel, CFD, and flight‑test data.
• Execute verification & validation work: SIL/HIL campaigns, Monte Carlo, and flight‑readiness criteria; communicate findings to team and program leadership.
• Participate in flight‑test planning and execution; analyze logs, tune controllers, and iterate safely and quickly.
• Learn from the controls team, carry your work through design/code reviews to meet roadmap goals and milestones.

Skills

C++

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

SIL/HIL

Git/Code Review

Education

Bachelors in Engineering/Physics/Mathematics

Tools

DO-178C/DO-331 exposure

PX4/ROS 2

Job description

Mach Industries in Los Angeles seeks a control systems engineer to design and validate flight control laws for fixed‑wing aircraft or high‑performance UAVs. You will own portions of the aircraft design, implement control algorithms, and participate in wind tunnel, CFD, and flight tests to ensure robust performance across the full envelope.

The role requires knowledge of flight dynamics, actuator modeling, and embedded C++.