Embedded Systems
Flight Software Lead
Lead the flight computer software for a two-seat electric VTOL aircraft, from architecture and ground rigs through flight and production.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Role Overview
The Flight Software Lead owns the flight computer software of a two-seat electric VTOL aircraft, from clean-sheet architecture through the ground rigs to flight, on a program targeting LSA certification. This is an individual contributor role on a lean discipline-lead team, with the opportunity to build and lead a team as the program scales. You do the core work yourself and direct subcontractors where needed. You close your interfaces directly with the other leads.
Key Responsibilities
Own the software architecture, from the real-time operating system to the interfaces with flight control, propulsion, and battery hardware.
Implement the control laws and redundancy management on the flight computers.
Set up and run software development and assurance, right-sized to the LSA path.
Own software verification, from requirements-based testing through integration on the HIL and iron bird rigs.
Control software configuration and lifecycle data, and release every build to the aircraft.
Build the ground control station software for unmanned flight test.
Take the software from the bench to manned flight and into the production aircraft.
Lead the adoption of AI tools and their workflows.
Required Qualifications
10+ years in safety-critical embedded software, with hands-on development of flight software that has flown.
Has architected the software of a fly-by-wire flight control computer or vehicle management system.
Has developed flight software under DO-178C at Level A or B, and can right-size that rigor to ASTM consensus standards on the LSA path.
3+ years on a small engineering team, such as at a startup, a UAS company, or a prototype group within a larger company, owning work beyond a single specialty.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience on a passenger eVTOL program.
Flight software experience on a manned aircraft.
Has taken flight software into a certified production aircraft.
Experience with model-based development and code generation for control laws.
Has brought AI tools into a team’s workflow, with a clear method for verifying their output.
