Flight Controls Engineer (m/f/d)

We’re hiring a Flight Controls Engineer to help design, implement, and tune high-performance control systems for autonomous UAVs operating in GPS-denied, high-speed environments.

You’ll focus on flight dynamics, control loop tuning, and simulation workflows — playing a key role in developing stable, agile, and mission-ready UAV behaviors. From hover-to-intercept transitions to velocity-mode tuning at >400 km/h, your work will be the foundation of our vehicle’s flight envelope.

This is a hands-on, technically focused role: you’ll work in simulation (SITL/HIL), tune controllers, analyze flight logs, and test behaviors in the field - always iterating rapidly in collaboration with our autonomy and systems teams.

Tasks

• Tune flight control loops in PX4 or ArduPilot (rate, attitude, velocity, position)
• Develop and test custom flight modes optimized for CUAS scenarios
• Design actuator mappings and mixers for novel vehicle configurations
• Set up and maintain SITL and HIL simulation environments for regression testing
• Analyze flight logs to diagnose control issues, EKF performance, and sensor behavior
• Validate control behavior during fast transitions (e.g. hover → intercept)
• Collaborate with autonomy and mechatronics teams to support full-stack integration
• Support field flight testing and performance validation of deployed systems

Requirements

• 3–5+ years of experience with UAV control systems or embedded flight software
• Strong knowledge of PX4 or ArduPilot control loop tuning and flight stack behavior
• Familiarity with SITL and HIL setups for real-time system testing
• Experience with PID tuning, actuator mapping, and vehicle parameter optimization
• Solid C++ and Python skills for flight software modification and automation
• Competency with telemetry tools (e.g. QGroundControl, Mission Planner) and log analysis
• Hands-on testing experience with drones or other real-world robotic systems

Bonus Points For:

• FPV pilot or UAV hobbyist with hands-on build/test experience
• Knowledge of MPC tuning or hybrid control architectures
• Experience in flight control for non-standard platforms (e.g. VTOL, tailsitter, coaxial)
• Familiarity with system identification or closed-loop control testing tools
• Field testing experience in GPS-denied or adversarial environments

Benefits

• Be part of a mission to reinvent autonomy for real-world impact
• Work with next-gen UAV platforms in a state-of-the-art test lab (Berlin TXL)
• Collaborate with elite engineers across autonomy, perception, and aerospace
• Competitive salary + meaningful equity
• Full-time, on-site role with a focus on fast development and deployment

You’re deeply familiar with the feel of a well-tuned control loop - and just as comfortable tweaking PID gains as you are dissecting flight logs. Whether in simulation or the real world, you bring the precision and discipline required to make autonomous systems fly flawlessly , even under pressure.