Staff Controls Engineer — Flight Dynamics & Simulation

Zipline; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline is hiring a Staff Controls Engineer in California to own dynamic models and develop advanced control algorithms for its autonomous delivery systems. You will work with controls, flight test, hardware, manufacturing, and customer teams to identify performance limits and drive improvements.

You will turn flight data into better models, validate designs with simulations, and define analysis methods that connect requirements to real-world vehicle performance.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise in controls, flight dynamics, system identification, or modeling of complex physical systems.
• Experience developing and using high-fidelity simulations to evaluate system performance and guide engineering decisions.
• Experience analyzing experimental or flight-test data and using evidence to validate models or improve designs.

Responsibilities

• Own dynamic models of complex vehicle systems and components within Zipline’s high-fidelity six-degree-of-freedom simulation.
• Build controls algorithms that are robust, performant, fault tolerant and own the development, testing, analysis and deployment of the same.
• Define analysis approaches that connect design choices, requirements, limitations, and environmental conditions to vehicle performance.
• Evaluate existing and future vehicle designs through simulation, flight-test data, and data from customer aircraft in the global fleet.
• Improve simulation fidelity by reconciling model predictions with observed flight behavior and identifying the highest-value gaps.
• Lead technical recommendations for controls, vehicle, and system design improvements with software, hardware, flight test, and manufacturing partners.
• Build reusable analysis tools that enable teams to investigate performance questions, compare design options, and make informed tradeoffs.
• Translate operational and customer insights into engineering priorities that improve the reliability and capability of the logistics network.

Skills

Controls expertise

Flight dynamics

System identification

Complex modeling

High-fidelity simulations

Data validation

Cross-functional lead

Communication skills

Job description

Zipline is hiring a Staff Controls Engineer in California to own dynamic models and develop advanced control algorithms for its autonomous delivery systems. You will work with controls, flight test, hardware, manufacturing, and customer teams to identify performance limits and drive improvements.

You will turn flight data into better models, validate designs with simulations, and define analysis methods that connect requirements to real-world vehicle performance.