Flight Dynamics Controls Engineer

Allen Control Systems•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

We are looking for a Flight Dynamics & Controls Engineer to own the aerodynamic modeling, flight control design, and system identification work for our high-performance fixed-wing UAV. This is an individual contributor role for someone with genuine depth in both aeronautics and classical controls.

Requirements

Solid understanding of classical control theory, including when to apply advanced methods
1+ years of relevant experience in controls, flight dynamics, or a closely related discipline including academic or hands-on hobbyist work.
Solid aeronautics knowledge covering fixed-wing stability, aerodynamic modeling, and flight mechanics; this role requires genuine depth in both disciplines and we are looking for someone who is genuinely an airplane nerd.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with missile guidance laws such as proportional navigation or pursuit control.
Proficiency in Python and/or C++; we weight aero and controls depth heavily over software skills, but the ability to implement your own work is a meaningful plus.
Experience with system identification techniques applied to real flight data.
Background in navigation or guidance that would allow broader contribution to GNC work over time.

Responsibilities

Use aeronautical analysis tools such as AVL to build and refine aerodynamic models; improve the fidelity of our simulator’s aircraft model and physics engine.
Design, tune, and augment flight control laws based on aerodynamic models and flight test results; add standard fixed-wing control features including altitude and airspeed control loops, and waypoint following.
Design flight test maneuvers optimized for system identification and data collection; analyze flight data to close the loop between model predictions and real-world behavior.