Staff Engineer, Core Flight Controls

Merlinlabs; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Life insurance

Unlimited vacation

401k with match

Job summary

Merlin Labs in Boston is seeking an experienced flight controls engineer to design and implement the autonomy stack for fixed-wing aircraft. You will decompose requirements, develop model-based control laws in Simulink/MATLAB, and test in simulation and on aircraft, collaborating across teams to deliver certifiable solutions.

The role requires 5+ years in control systems for fixed-wing aircraft, proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink, Python, and C/C++, and a pilot license.

Qualifications

• 5+ years designing control systems for fixed-wing aircraft.
• Model-based development and certification experience.
• Real-time software design and testing experience.
• Experience with linear models and frequency-domain tuning.
• Pilot license and customer-facing experience.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement flight controls for our aircraft automation system.
• Decompose system requirements into low-level and high-level control needs.
• Develop and use simulation tools for development and testing.
• Model in Simulink, analyze with MATLAB and Python.
• Participate in flight testing and system identification.
• Own the flight control system end-to-end.
• Collaborate across Merlin to develop certifiable systems.

Skills

Flight controls

Model-based development

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

C/C++

Real-time software

Linear models

State-space models

Frequency tuning

Customer interaction

Pilot license

Education

BS in AE/ME/EE

MS/PhD in Aerospace/Controls

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

C/C++

Job description

About Merlin:

Merlin is a venture backed aerospace startup building a non-human pilot to enable both reduced crew and uncrewed flight. Backed by some of the world’s leading investors, Merlin is scaling alongside our customers to begin leveraging autonomy today to solve some of aviation’s biggest challenges.

About you:

You are an experienced flight controls engineer passionate about autonomous flight who wants to contribute to making airplanes fly themselves. You are familiar with fixed wing aircraft and the classical and modern methods used to control them automatically. You know how to use industrystandard tools for this work, and you are excited to work on novel applications.

• Design and implement flight controls for our aircraft automation system.


• Decompose system requirements into low level flight controls requirements


• Help create and use the simulation tools needed for development and testing including


• Simulink control law modeling, analysis using MATLAB and Python.


• Participate in flight testing for system identification and verification of control law performance on multiple aircraft types.


• Own the flight control system from end-to-end and be responsible for product delivery to programs and customers


• Collaborate across Merlin to develop novel, certifiable systems to solve the toughest problems in aviation and autonomy.


• BS in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering


• 5+ years of experience developing control systems for fixed wing aircraft, with demonstrated understanding of fixed wing aircraft dynamics, classical and modern control design / analysis


• Experience decomposing systems requirements into high level requirements for both outer loop and inner loop control design


• Experience working in Model Based Development and certification of flight control systems, including proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink or another model-based development toolset


• Experience designing, implementing, and testing software for real-time systems


• Experience with linear model development, linear analysis and frequency domain gain tuning techniques


• MS/PhD in Aerospace Engineering and/or Controls


• Experience developing never-before-flown control systems


• Experience extracting linear state space models from flight test data


• Experience working directly with customers and being a company representative


• Pilot license


• Proficiency in C/C++ or Python

Merlin Labs offers an innovative, entrepreneurial, and team-focused startup environment. We also offer a top-notch benefits package (health, dental, life, unlimited vacation, and 401k with match) and work/life integration. Being part of the Merlin team allows you to become part of a small team that supports professional development while working together to achieve our mission.

Merlin Labs is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, military service or obligation or disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. All job offers are contingent upon the candidate passing background and reference checks.

At this time, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship or consider candidates who require visa transfers. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or in the future.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to: [e-mail]

Merlin Labs does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from candidates.