UAV Flight Control Engineer- (PX4 / ArduPilot & Control Systems)

HYFIX; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional Development Assistance

Job summary

HYFIX in Santa Clara, CA is seeking a Lead Embedded / Flight Control Engineer to oversee the architecture and performance of drone flight control systems.

This hands-on role emphasizes real-time firmware, flight stabilization, and integration of autopilot frameworks. Candidates should have extensive experience in embedded systems, particularly within UAV and robotics fields.

Interested applicants can send their resumes to [e-mail].

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in embedded systems development.
• 3+ years of working on UAV, robotics, or real-time control systems.
• Strong proficiency in real-time firmware development.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain embedded firmware in C/C++.
• Develop and optimize control loops for UAV systems.
• Collaborate with engineering teams on system integration.

Skills

Embedded systems development

Control theory

C/C++ proficiency

Real-time operating systems

Hardware-level debugging

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field

Tools

Oscilloscope

Logic analyzer

CAN

SPI

I2C

UART

Job description

Santa Clara, CA | In-Person | Full-Time | Relocation not offered

Reports to: Head of Robotics

About HYFIX

HYFIX is building pioneering Spatial AI and autonomous systems to shape the future of intelligent technology. We are a global, forward-thinking team solving complex engineering challenges and delivering innovative, real‑world autonomous solutions.

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced Lead Embedded / Flight Control Engineer to own the architecture, performance, and reliability of our drone flight control systems. This is a hands‑on technical leadership role responsible for real‑time firmware, flight stabilization, sensor fusion, and full‑stack UAV integration.

This role is focused specifically on flight control systems, control loop tuning, and autopilot frameworks (PX4/ArduPilot)—not general embedded development.

Leadership & Ownership

• Serve as the technical authority for flight software
• Define architecture standards and embedded development workflows
• Mentor and grow embedded engineering talent
• Own system‑level reliability, safety, and flight performance

This role defines the core intelligence that keeps our aircraft stable, responsive, and safe under real‑world operating conditions.

What You Will Own

• Architecture and development of flight controller firmware
• Integration and customization of autopilot frameworks (PX4, ArduPilot)
• Real‑time control systems (RTOS or bare‑metal)
• Flight stabilization and PID control loop tuning
• Hardware bring‑up and board‑level debugging
• System‑level safety, redundancy, and failsafe logic

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain high‑reliability embedded firmware in C/C++
• Develop and tune attitude, rate, and position control loops
• Optimize deterministic timing performance in real‑time systems
• Collaborate closely with electrical and mechanical engineers on system integration
• Lead code reviews and establish embedded development best practices
• Support flight testing, log analysis, and performance optimization
• Drive root‑cause analysis for in‑flight anomalies
• Establish scalable firmware architecture from prototype through production

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field
• 7+ years of embedded systems development experience
• 3+ years working on UAV, robotics, or real‑time control systems
• Strong proficiency in C/C++
• Deep understanding of control theory and feedback systems
• Experience with real‑time operating systems
• Experience with CAN, SPI, I2C, UART communication buses
• Hardware‑level debugging (oscilloscope, logic analyzer)

Preferred Qualifications

• Contributions to PX4 or ArduPilot codebases
• Experience with motor control and ESC integration
• Familiarity with MAVLink protocol
• Experience in safety‑critical systems
• Background in aerospace or advanced robotics
• Experience leading small engineering teams

What Success Looks Like

• Stable, repeatable, high‑performance flight behavior
• Clean, maintainable firmware architecture
• Reduced flight‑test iteration cycles
• Clear documentation and scalable codebase
• Professional Development Assistance

How to Apply

We’d love to hear from you! Send your resume and a short cover letter to [e-mail]