Senior Flight Controls Engineer

1w1 week ago

Zipline

South San Francisco, US · Full-time · $135,000 – $175,000

About this role

Zipline is on a mission to transform the way goods move, solving the world’s most urgent access challenges with instant delivery and logistics systems. From Rwanda’s blood delivery to Walmart home delivery, we use robotics and autonomy to decarbonize delivery and provide equitable access. The GNC team develops critical flight software for autonomous aircraft missions.

In this role, design and develop core flight algorithms and software to ensure aircraft perform maneuvers accurately and reject disturbances. Continuously validate work through software and hardware testing, from simulations to operational flights in our global fleet. Success directly improves delivery network capability.

Zipline’s GNC team thrives on novel solutions for delivery platforms in challenging conditions, ensuring equal service worldwide. Work in a multi-developer environment on production aircraft. Analyze flight data to assess changes and identify improvements.

Join to build a resilient global supply chain for billions, reducing fossil fuels and congestion. Leverage standout applied math and software skills in flight controls. Contribute to powering healthcare and on-demand delivery worldwide.

Requirements

Software engineering skills with embedded software (C, C++) and technical computing (MATLAB, Python, Julia) in multi-developer environments
Applied math skills standout among aerospace engineers, particularly linear algebra, probability and Bayesian estimation
Experience and excitement for simulations and hardware
Exposure to precision integrated inertial navigation, dynamic modeling of complex systems, linear control analysis, optimal control with uncertainty, or state estimation in novel circumstances
Built flying things from scratch professionally or in design competitions

Responsibilities

Design, implement, test and release innovative flight algorithms that improve operational performance of vehicle controllers
Create tools and tests to demonstrate design performance and protect against regressions using theoretical guarantees and simulations
Analyze flight data to assess recent changes and upgrades for regressions and improvement areas
Design onboard integrity tests to communicate system performance degradation
Develop core flight software for autonomous mission completion
Validate algorithms through simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing
Maintain flight controllers responsive to maneuvers and disturbances

Benefits

Starting cash range of $135,000 - $175,000
Final cash pay based on experience, qualifications, skills, location and projected impact
Total compensation package beyond cash