Engineer III - Flight Controls (HAPS)

• Establish processes for the development of the flight control system.
• Plan and execute test procedures for verification and validation of the flight control system.
• Develop mathematical models for simulating motion of flexible aircraft.
• Establish Flight control system architecture for aeroelastic aircraft. 
• Control surface sizing and evaluating control surface effectiveness for aeroelastic aircraft. 
• Control law development for aeroelastic modes and path stabilization.
• Develop advanced guidance algorithms for flight path optimization, jetstream crossing, thermal soaring and energy management.
• Develop estimators/ Kalman filters for estimating structural dynamic states.
• Create MATLAB code/ Simulink models to evaluate guidance, flight control and estimation algorithms
• Establish test setup for SIL, PIL and HIL simulations. Evaluate limitations and calibrate for errors.
• Post flight analysis and evaluation of Flight Control System. 
• Prepare work breakdown plan for given problem statement. 
• Coordinate with flight controls team and stakeholders to meet project requirements and deadlines
• Consistently and proactively work with team members to solve complex design problems.
• Guide team members for execution of project specific tasks.

• 3+ years of experience in flight dynamics modeling, flight simulation development, control law design, guidance law design (or) state estimator design.
• Knowledge of fundamental concepts of state estimation, guidance and flight control.
• Strong foundation in flight mechanics, mathematical modeling, and flight control design (or) state estimator design.
• Proven experience in developing flight control and guidance (or) state estimators/ kalman filters from concept to flight testing.
• Control system design using MATLAB, Simulink and other tools.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Creative problem solving and analytical skills. 

• A sound understanding of aeroelastic flight dynamic modeling and control law development.
• Exposure to certification of flight control laws.

• Bachelors or Masters in Aerospace/Aeronautical/Controls engineering with at least 1 degree in Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering and minimum 5 years of experience

Engineer III focused on flight-control systems for a high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) aircraft. The work spans flight dynamics and control design, guidance and state estimation, simulation, and verification through ground and flight testing.

Role at a glance

Skills mentioned

What you will likely work on

• Set up development processes, flight-control architecture, and verification plans for the aircraft control system.
• Model flexible-aircraft motion and assess control-surface sizing and effectiveness.
• Develop control laws, guidance algorithms, and estimators for aircraft modes, flight-path optimization, and energy management.
• Build MATLAB code and Simulink models to evaluate guidance, control, and estimation algorithms.
• Establish and calibrate software-, processor-, and hardware-in-the-loop simulation setups.
• Analyze post-flight data and evaluate flight-control system performance.
• Plan task breakdowns and coordinate with the flight-controls team and stakeholders to meet project needs and deadlines.
• Support teammates in resolving design problems and executing project-specific work.

Good fit signals

• Has at least five years of experience and a degree background that meets the stated aerospace/aeronautical education condition.
• Brings flight dynamics, simulation, control or guidance design, or state-estimation experience, including work from concept through flight testing.
• Has a strong grounding in flight mechanics, mathematical modeling, and flight-control or state-estimator design.
• Can use MATLAB and Simulink for control-system design and algorithm evaluation.
• Aeroelastic control knowledge or exposure to flight-control certification would be useful but is listed as good to have.