Senior Flight Controls Engineer

Skyways; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 130,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Skyways designs, builds, and operates autonomous cargo aircraft from Austin, Texas. This hands-on controls role spans VTOL, transition, and fixed-wing flight, with tuning in simulation and validation on the aircraft.

You will work side-by-side with AI agents while delivering production-ready control solutions. You will contribute to a fast-moving GNC team in a high‑growth environment, applying control theory, real-time C++/Python, and flight tests to increase reliability and mission success.

Qualifications

• Strong fundamentals in control theory and aircraft or rotorcraft dynamics.
• Experience implementing flight or vehicle control laws in production code.
• Fluency in C++ and Python in real time or embedded systems.
• Hands on experience with controller tuning, simulation, and field or flight test.
• Ability to read flight logs, isolate root cause, and present findings clearly.
• Comfort in an early stage environment with fast iteration, incomplete requirements, and calculated risk.
• Ability to work onsite in Austin, TX.

Responsibilities

• Implement and tune control laws across VTOL, fixed wing, and the transition between them.
• Tune in SITL and the V3 digital twin, then validate in ground and flight test.
• Analyze flight logs, find root cause, and turn findings into control fixes.
• Write and own flight test plans with the team.
• Manage a portion of the team's AI agents.

Skills

Control theory

Flight/vehicle control

C++

Python

Controller tuning

Simulation

Flight test

Tools

ArduPilot

PX4

Flight stack

Job description

Skyways designs, builds, and operates fully autonomous long-range cargo aircraft. Founded in 2017, the company has spent the last eight years developing and deploying autonomous logistics systems for real-world operations.

Our V2 aircraft carries 30 lbs up to 500 miles, while our next-generation V3 carries 100 lbs over 1,000+ miles with 20+ hours of endurance. Both use a hybrid-electric architecture that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like a plane, enabling long-range autonomous delivery without traditional runway infrastructure.

Today, Skyways aircraft operate across three continents in controlled national airspace under FAA oversight and in support of U.S. military operations. We are transitioning from prototype development to full-rate production and scaling toward large autonomous cargo fleets.

Backed by Y Combinator and a $37M AFWERX STRATFI award from the U.S. Air Force, Skyways is creating a new form of transportation to advance our civilization from Austin, Texas.

The Opportunity

This is a hands‑on controls role on a small, fast moving GNC team. You will own control law work across VTOL, transition, and fixed wing flight. You will tune in analysis and simulation, validate on the aircraft, and see your changes fly in production and increase customer satisfaction. You will also work alongside the team's AI agents, which carry a real share of the engineering load. If you like seeing our work in the real world being used to transform civilization, this role is built for you.

What You'll Do

• Implement and tune control laws across VTOL, fixed wing, and the transition between them.
• Tune in SITL and the V3 digital twin, then validate in ground and flight test.
• Analyze flight logs, find root cause, and turn findings into control fixes.
• Write and own flight test plans with the team.
• Manage a portion of the team's AI agents.

What You'll Bring

• Strong fundamentals in control theory and aircraft or rotorcraft dynamics.
• Experience implementing flight or vehicle control laws in production code.
• Fluency in C++ and Python in real time or embedded systems.
• Hands on experience with controller tuning, simulation, and field or flight test.
• Ability to read flight logs, isolate root cause, and present findings clearly.
• Comfort in an early stage environment with fast iteration. incomplete requirements, and calculated risk.
• Ability to work onsite in Austin, where our aircraft are designed, built, and flown.

Bonus Points

• Experience with ArduPilot, PX4, or a similar flight stack.
• Background in VTOL, fixed wing, or hybrid aircraft control.
• Hardware in the loop or software in the loop testing.
• System identification or working with large telemetry sets.
• Comfort working alongside AI coding agents.

Due to U.S. government contract requirements, this role is limited to U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or candidates from specific countries authorized under applicable export control regulations.

Skyways is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other factor protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.