What you'll do:
- Design and implement flight control laws and supporting logic across multiple flight regimes.
- Build and mature high-fidelity 6DOF simulation environments used for control development and ensure accurate pre-flight performance predictions
- Execute verification activities, including linear analysis, Monte Carlo campaigns, disturbance/sensitivity/degraded operation testing, and HIL validation
- Diagnose and resolve simulation-to-test mismatches, including unidentified dynamics and modeling gaps
- Support flight test operations and contribute to rapid iteration between flights
- Work closely with propulsion, aero, actuation, sensors, state estimation, and autonomy teams to ensure accurate integrated system performance in the 6DOF simulation environment.
Required qualifications:
- 3+ years of experience working flight controls / GNC on real flight vehicles.
- Experience performing one or more of the following technical flight control assignments:
- Vehicle Modeling and Simulation:
- Demonstrated experience implementing time-accurate mathematical models of the vehicle aerodynamics, mass properties, fuel system, propulsion system, sensors, actuators into a 6DOF simulation environment.
- Control Law Design:
- Demonstrated experience designing inner and outer loop control laws for fixed-wing aircraft using classical or modern control techniques.
- Control Allocation:
- Demonstrated experience designing control allocation algorithms for over-actuated systems handling actuator saturation, rate limits, failures and degradation.
- Guidance and Autonomy Integration:
- Demonstrated experience designing and testing real-time trajectory generation algorithms.
- Verification and Validation:
- Demonstrated experience executing linear, nonlinear, and Monte Carlo Analyses in a 6DOF simulation environment.
- Demonstrated experience executing sensitivity studies, worst-case disturbance analysis, and/or failure detection and accommodation studies validating control robustness against requirements.
- Demonstrated experience characterizing aircraft flying qualities within a high-fidelity 6DOF Simulation framework.
- Strong background in aircraft flight dynamics and 6DOF simulation
- Proficiency in C++, MATLAB/Simulink, and/or Python.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Preferred qualifications:
- Autonomous systems or missile/UAV GNC background
- Familiarity with:
- Sensor and air data systems
- CI/CD pipelines and modern DevSecOps practices
- Experience with HIL or integrated simulation/test environments and Linux-based development workflows (Git, etc.)
- Experience operating in rapid development environments with tight iteration loops between simulation and test
Skills Required
- 3+ years experience working flight controls / GNC on real flight vehicles
- Implement time-accurate mathematical vehicle models (aerodynamics, mass properties, propulsion, sensors, actuators) into a 6DOF simulation environment
- Design inner and outer loop control laws for fixed-wing aircraft using classical or modern control techniques
- Design control allocation algorithms for over-actuated systems handling saturation, rate limits, failures and degradation
- Design and test real-time trajectory generation algorithms (guidance/autonomy integration)
- Execute linear, nonlinear, and Monte Carlo analyses and sensitivity/worst-case disturbance studies in a 6DOF simulation
- Characterize aircraft flying qualities within a high-fidelity 6DOF simulation framework
- Strong background in aircraft flight dynamics and 6DOF simulation
- Proficiency in C++, MATLAB/Simulink, and/or Python
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance
- Experience executing HIL validation and diagnosing simulation-to-test mismatches
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials describe excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage alongside a mental‑health EAP. Site perks such as an onsite gym in DC and a gym discount in San Diego support a health‑focused offering.
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Retirement Support — Careers materials highlight a 401(k) with company match as part of the standard package. A Total Rewards overview emphasizes retirement features within a broader, transparent compensation view.
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Career-Linked Recognition & Rewards — Compensation for in‑demand technical and senior go‑to‑market roles is described as competitive, with visible engineering ranges and top‑end packages. This points to meaningful upside tied to role, level, and scarce skills.
Shield AI Insights
What We Do
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide.
Why Work With Us
What makes Shield AI special is our people. We unlock the power of autonomy, and in the face of overwhelming odds and challenges, we find ways to win and make a difference for our customers. We bring together software, AI, and aerospace engineering disciplines to deploy the most intelligent aviation capabilities in the world.
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.