The Role
Leads the technical direction, architecture, verification, certification, and flight-test readiness of flight-control systems across eVTOL aircraft programs. Oversees control law development, simulation, failure accommodation, envelope protection, and model-based design. Leads and mentors the flight-controls team while coordinating with systems engineering, safety, certification, firmware, autonomy, aeromechanical, and flight-test teams. Requires deep aircraft flight-dynamics expertise, senior technical leadership, and proficiency with MATLAB, Simulink, C, and C++.
Summary Generated by Built In
Pivotal is the leader in the emerging market of electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. We design, develop, and manufacture light eVTOL aircraft and are renowned for the BlackFly aircraft the world's first light eVTOL to fly manned missions and enter the consumer market.
Efficient, compact, and simple, Pivotal aircraft are designed for a wide range of consumer, public service, and defense applications. Our distinctive tilt-aircraft architecture and scalable platform have been flying for over 10 years. Last year we announced our next-generation aircraft, the Helix, which is rapidly progressing toward general release and scalable production in 2026.
Mobility is one of the most highly-valued areas of modern technology investments. This is the right company, in the right space, the right strategy, at the right time. If you are ready for adventure, we invite you to join our amazing team and grow with us.
About the Role
The GNC team at Pivotal develops the flight control and navigation algorithms that let our aircraft fly safely and precisely, including on the Helix family of aircraft. We are looking for a Senior Staff GNC Engineer to be the technical and team lead for flight controls across our aircraft programs, setting the long-term direction for how Pivotal aircraft are controlled and how the team develops, verifies, and qualifies its control laws.
You will be accountable for the technical approach of the flight control system across the Helix family and future aircraft, from control law architecture, redundancy, and failure accommodation to the simulation, tools, and verification processes the team uses. You will lead the flight controls team, overseeing its work and mentoring Staff and Senior engineers, shape aircraft-level decisions with program leadership, and represent flight controls to the systems engineering, safety, certification, and flight test teams, as well as to customers and partners.
The ideal candidate is a recognized flight controls expert who has led control law development for at least one aircraft from early design through flight test, ideally a VTOL, rotorcraft, or eVTOL aircraft.
ResponsibilitiesTechnical Direction- Set the long-term technical direction for flight controls across aircraft programs, including control law architecture, operating modes, redundancy, and failure accommodation.
- Make or guide the final technical calls on major flight control design decisions and trade-offs, and document the rationale.
- Shape aircraft-level decisions that affect flight controls, such as actuator and sensor selection, redundancy, flight computer architecture, and aircraft configuration.
- Stay hands-on with the hardest technical problems, such as transition, envelope protection, and failure accommodation.
- Define how the team develops and verifies flight control laws, including model-based design practices, simulation and test infrastructure, and automated verification.
- Lead the assurance and certification approach for flight controls with the systems engineering, safety, and certification teams, including means of compliance and DO-178C, DO-331, and ARP4754A objectives.
- Review flight readiness for significant control law changes and flight envelope expansion.
- Lead the flight controls team, setting its technical priorities, overseeing its work across programs, and mentoring Staff, Senior, and early-career engineers, and help shape hiring and the growth of the team.
- Represent flight controls to company leadership, customers, partners, and regulators.
- Coordinate flight controls work with the navigation, autonomy, firmware, aeromechanical, and flight test teams so the GNC system works as a whole.
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- 12+ years of industry experience in flight controls or GNC with a Bachelor’s degree, 8+ years with a Master’s degree, or 5+ years with a PhD, or equivalent experience.
- Experience as the technical lead for flight control law development on at least one aircraft, from early design through flight test.
- Expert knowledge of aircraft flight dynamics and of classical, modern, and robust control methods.
- Deep experience with multi-loop flight control architectures, control allocation, envelope protection, and failure accommodation.
- Experience with frequency-domain analysis and system identification of aircraft or rotorcraft, and with using flight test data to improve models and control laws.
- Experience defining verification strategies for safety-critical flight control systems, from simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing through flight test.
- A track record of leading engineering teams and of technical leadership across teams, including mentoring senior engineers and influencing leadership decisions.
- Proficiency in MATLAB and Simulink, and the ability to review flight software in C or C++.
- Excellent communication skills, including explaining complex technical trade-offs to executives, customers, and non-specialists.
- Master’s degree or PhD in Aerospace Engineering or a related field, with a focus on flight dynamics or flight controls.
- Experience with eVTOL, tiltrotor, rotorcraft, or other VTOL aircraft, including control through the transition between hover and forward flight.
- Experience taking a flight control system through certification or airworthiness approval, such as with the FAA, EASA, or a military authority, including DO-178C, DO-331, ARP4754A, and ARP4761.
- Experience using CONDUIT and CIFER.
- Experience with handling qualities specifications and evaluations, such as ADS-33, MIL-DTL-32742, and MIL-STD-1797, including piloted simulation evaluations.
- Experience developing flight controls for both piloted and autonomous aircraft.
- Experience building or leading a flight controls team.
- Experience scaling model-based design, simulation infrastructure, and automated testing, using Git, continuous integration, and agile development workflows.
- Experience using AI-assisted development tools, such as Claude, to speed up algorithm development, coding, and data analysis.
- Piloting or RC piloting experience, or a strong interest in aviation.
Responsibilities
- Set the long-term technical direction for flight controls across aircraft programs, including control law architecture, operating modes, redundancy, and failure accommodation.
- Make or guide the final technical calls on major flight control design decisions and trade-offs, and document the rationale.
- Shape aircraft-level decisions that affect flight controls, such as actuator and sensor selection, redundancy, flight computer architecture, and aircraft configuration.
- Stay hands-on with the hardest technical problems, such as transition, envelope protection, and failure accommodation. Process, Tools & Verification
- Define how the team develops and verifies flight control laws, including model-based design practices, simulation and test infrastructure, and automated verification.
- Lead the assurance and certification approach for flight controls with the systems engineering, safety, and certification teams, including means of compliance and DO-178C, DO-331, and ARP4754A objectives.
- Review flight readiness for significant control law changes and flight envelope expansion. Team Leadership & Collaboration
- Lead the flight controls team, setting its technical priorities, overseeing its work across programs, and mentoring Staff, Senior, and early-career engineers, and help shape hiring and the growth of the team.
- Represent flight controls to company leadership, customers, partners, and regulators.
- Coordinate flight controls work with the navigation, autonomy, firmware, aeromechanical, and flight test teams so the GNC system works as a whole.
Technical Direction
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- 12+ years of industry experience in flight controls or GNC with a Bachelor’s degree, 8+ years with a Master’s degree, or 5+ years with a PhD, or equivalent experience.
Experience
- Experience as the technical lead for flight control law development on at least one aircraft, from early design through flight test.
- Expert knowledge of aircraft flight dynamics and of classical, modern, and robust control methods.
- Deep experience with multi-loop flight control architectures, control allocation, envelope protection, and failure accommodation.
- Experience with frequency-domain analysis and system identification of aircraft or rotorcraft, and with using flight test data to improve models and control laws.
- Experience defining verification strategies for safety-critical flight control systems, from simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing through flight test.
- A track record of leading engineering teams and of technical leadership across teams, including mentoring senior engineers and influencing leadership decisions.
- Proficiency in MATLAB and Simulink, and the ability to review flight software in C or C++.
- Excellent communication skills, including explaining complex technical trade-offs to executives, customers, and non-specialists.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree or PhD in Aerospace Engineering or a related field, with a focus on flight dynamics or flight controls.
- Experience with eVTOL, tiltrotor, rotorcraft, or other VTOL aircraft, including control through the transition between hover and forward flight.
- Experience taking a flight control system through certification or airworthiness approval, such as with the FAA, EASA, or a military authority, including DO-178C, DO-331, ARP4754A, and ARP4761.
- Experience using CONDUIT and CIFER.
- Experience with handling qualities specifications and evaluations, such as ADS-33, MIL-DTL-32742, and MIL-STD-1797, including piloted simulation evaluations.
- Experience developing flight controls for both piloted and autonomous aircraft.
- Experience building or leading a flight controls team.
- Experience scaling model-based design, simulation infrastructure, and automated testing, using Git, continuous integration, and agile development workflows.
- Experience using AI-assisted development tools, such as Claude, to speed up algorithm development, coding, and data analysis.
- Piloting or RC piloting experience, or a strong interest in aviation.
Attributes aligned with Core Values
- Safety Above All: Demonstrates a proactive safety mindset by embedding safety into daily work, identifying and mitigating risks, encouraging open dialogue about safety concerns, and continuously improving practices and protocols.
- Customer Focus: Puts customers at the center of every action by understanding their challenges, delivering meaningful value, and supporting their success.
- Work Better Together: Seeks and values diverse perspectives, builds cross-functional relationships, and fosters trust through empathetic, fact-based communication and commitment to shared decisions.
- Be the Pilot: Drives results with clarity and purpose by focusing on what matters most, adapting to change, taking initiative, and owning outcomes.
- Embrace the Unknown: Navigates ambiguity with resilience and bold thinking, challenges the status quo, and combines innovative ideas with practical approaches to overcome obstacles and drive progress.
- Respect for People: Fosters a high-performance culture grounded in respect, professionalism, and support by balancing high expectations with a healthy, collaborative environment and being a trusted, dependable teammate.
Applicants must be eligible for employment in the United States and willing to work onsite at our HQ office in Palo Alto, CA.
Pivotal offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and 401k plans.
Pivotal is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Pivotal does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field
- 12+ years of industry experience in flight controls or GNC with a bachelor's degree, 8+ years with a master's degree, or 5+ years with a PhD, or equivalent experience
- Technical leadership of flight-control law development for at least one aircraft from early design through flight test
- Expert knowledge of aircraft flight dynamics and classical, modern, and robust control methods
- Deep experience with multi-loop flight-control architectures, control allocation, envelope protection, and failure accommodation
- Experience with frequency-domain analysis, aircraft or rotorcraft system identification, and use of flight-test data to improve models and control laws
- Experience defining verification strategies for safety-critical flight-control systems, including simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and flight test
- Track record of leading engineering teams, mentoring senior engineers, and providing cross-functional technical leadership
- Proficiency in MATLAB and Simulink, with ability to review flight software in C or C++
- Excellent communication skills for explaining complex technical trade-offs to executives, customers, and non-specialists
- Master's degree or PhD in Aerospace Engineering or a related field focused on flight dynamics or flight controls
- Experience with eVTOL, tiltrotor, rotorcraft, or other VTOL aircraft, including hover-to-forward-flight transition control
- Experience taking flight-control systems through FAA, EASA, or military certification or airworthiness approval
- Experience with DO-178C, DO-331, ARP4754A, and ARP4761
- Experience using CONDUIT and CIFER
- Experience with ADS-33, MIL-DTL-32742, MIL-STD-1797, and piloted simulation evaluations
- Experience developing flight controls for piloted and autonomous aircraft
- Experience building or leading a flight-controls team
- Experience with Git, continuous integration, agile development workflows, model-based design, simulation infrastructure, and automated testing
- Piloting or RC piloting experience, or strong interest in aviation
- Eligibility for employment in the United States and willingness to work onsite in Palo Alto, California
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The Company
What We Do
Pivotal, founded by Melinda French Gates, is a group of organizations dedicated to accelerating social progress for women and young people globally. Through a combination of philanthropy, strategic investments, and advocacy, the organization works to drive momentum in areas with the greatest potential for impact. By supporting leaders and innovative ideas, Pivotal aims to expand women's power and influence, ultimately fostering a more equitable and inclusive future for everyone.
