Autonomy & Controls
Flight Control Systems Lead
Lead the fly-by-wire flight control system, from simulation and ground rigs through flight and production.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Role Overview
The FCS Lead owns the flight control system of a two-seat electric VTOL aircraft, from clean-sheet architecture through simulation, ground rig, and flight, on a program targeting LSA certification. This is an individual contributor role on a lean discipline-lead team. You do the core work yourself and direct subcontractors where needed. You close your interfaces directly with the other discipline leads and carry the flight controls position in aircraft-level trades. As the company grows, this role offers a path to building and leading a team.
Key Responsibilities
Own the fly-by-wire flight control architecture, its redundancy scheme, and the requirements that define it.
Build the flight dynamics simulation and design the control laws, proving control authority and handling qualities.
Design for Simplified Vehicle Operations, so the control law carries the workload and an operator with minimal training can fly it.
Run the hardware trades and select the suppliers.
Develop and prove the flight control system on the HIL and iron bird rigs before flight.
Take the system from the bench through unmanned flight test to manned flight and into the production aircraft.
Analyze flight data and update the control laws to match the aircraft as flown.
Required Qualifications
15+ years in flight controls and GN&C, with hands-on control law design that has flown on a manned aircraft.
Has architected the flight control system of a multirotor or distributed electric propulsion aircraft.
Fluent in ARP4754A, DO-178C, and DO-254, and able to right-size that rigor to ASTM consensus standards on the LSA path.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience on a passenger eVTOL program.
Experience with envelope protection and automatic flight modes.
Experience with state estimation and sensor fusion.
Has taken a flight control system into a certified production aircraft.
Vehicle Management System experience beyond flight controls, in avionics architecture and flight software.
