Flight Control Lead
Flight Control Systems Lead Role Overview We're recruiting a Flight Controls Lead for a well-funded eVTOL startup building a two-seat personal flying vehicle. It's a clean-sheet design with eight vertical and two horizontal independently powered ducted fans, plus an AI copilot system. The company has completed 70+ manned test flights and recently closed a significant strategic investment round. You'd be driving flight controls development as part of the founding team. This is a build-it-from-scratch role for someone who wants real ownership over the function, not a maintenance seat on an established program. Dedicated flight control engineering experience and hands-on eVTOL background are hard requirements here. 100% remote role with travel as needed.
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.