Senior Flight Dynamics & Avionics Engineer

Senior Flight Dynamics & Avionics Engineer

We are seeking a Senior Flight Dynamics & Avionics Engineer to serve as a hands-on technical authority for our advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms in Bingen, WA. In this role, you will bridge the gap between aerodynamics, embedded software, and real flight behavior to ensure our aircraft operate safely, efficiently, and reliably.

Meet the Team: The Airbus Helicopters Flexrotor Program offers one of the most sophisticated small tactical unmanned aerial systems (STUAS) with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). It can be used day or night by US and allied forces for a diverse range of intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) on land and at sea.

Your Working Environment: Nestled in the heart of the spectacular Columbia River Gorge in Bingen, WA, our workplace offers innovation and the ability to contribute to game-changing solutions while enjoying the flexibility to spread your wings. Whether it's solving complex challenges, or celebrating victories, you'll be part of a cohesive crew that thrives on innovation and the beauty that the Northwest has to offer!

How We Care for You:

• Financial Rewards: Competitive base salary, incentive compensation which may include profit sharing schemes, retirement savings plan and the ability to participate in an Employee Stock Ownership Plan ("ESOP")
• Work/Life Balance: Paid time off including personal time, holidays and a generous paid parental leave program.
• Health & Welfare: Comprehensive insurance coverage including medical (traditional and high-deductible health plans), prescription, dental, vision, life, disability, Employee Assistance Plan ("EAP") and other supplemental benefit coverages.

Your Challenges:

Flight Dynamics, Performance & Control Analysis (30%)

• Analyze and model UAV flight mechanics, including aerodynamic forces, stability, and control response.
• Evaluate and refine flight performance metrics such as endurance, climb rate, turn capability, and control authority.
• Correlate flight test data with aerodynamic and performance models to validate system behavior and identify discrepancies.
• Support flight envelope expansion, ensuring aircraft operate safely within aerodynamic and structural limits.
• Contribute to defining and verifying performance requirements and mission-level objectives.
• Supports flight testing as required.

Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) Understanding and Refinement (30%)

• Review, document, and tune existing control and navigation algorithms for attitude, position, and mission control.
• Analyze control law performance under various flight conditions and refine parameters for improved stability and response.
• Investigate and explain observed flight behaviors through theoretical and numerical analysis.
• Support estimation and sensor fusion performance assessment (IMU, GPS, air data, magnetometer, etc.).
• Collaborate with software and flight test teams to ensure accurate implementation and documentation of GNC logic.

Software & Avionics Comprehension (20%)

• Own and continuously advance a comprehensive understanding of the autopilot and flight control software architecture, including embedded systems, control laws, and aircraft-level integration. Interpret and document algorithmic flow and software-hardware interactions.
• Collaborate with embedded engineers to ensure correct integration and calibration of control laws.
• Occasionally implement or prototype algorithm modifications and diagnostic tools using C/C++, Python, or MATLAB/Simulink.

Electrical and Systems Integration (10%)

• Interpret electrical wiring diagrams and avionics schematics to understand system interfaces and dependencies.
• Support system integration and troubleshooting activities related to sensors, flight computers, and actuators.
• Participate in hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), software-in-the-loop (SIL), and bench-level testing to validate overall flight system behavior.

Documentation, Research & Continuous Improvement (10%)

• Produce and maintain detailed technical documentation, including algorithm descriptions, test procedures, and performance reports.
• Contribute to simulation model improvement and data processing workflows.
• Stay informed on advances in UAV flight dynamics, GNC theory, and aeronautical system modeling.
• Mentor junior engineers on principles of flight mechanics, stability, and control system design.

Your Boarding Pass:

• Possess a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Avionics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Control Systems Engineering.
• Have ten (10) + years' of experience in aerospace, UAV, or flight control engineering.
• Have five (5) + years' of hands-on experience with flight data analysis and performance validation.
• Strong background in flight mechanics, aerodynamics, and aircraft performance analysis.
• Demonstrated knowledge tuning or analyzing flight control and navigation algorithms.
• Familiarity with C/C++, Python, and MATLAB/Simulink for analysis, documentation, or prototyping.
• Understanding of embedded systems and avionics interfaces (CAN, UART, TCP/UDP, serial).
• Ability to interpret electrical schematics and support hardware/software integration.
• Good understanding of embedded systems and software development practices, with demonstrated ability to solve technical problems with little supervision.
• Strong understanding of aircraft dynamics, stability & control, and flight performance principles.
• Skilled in data analysis, simulation, and model correlation using real flight data.
• Excellent ability to translate flight observations into actionable control system improvements.
• Strong communication and documentation skills for technical and multidisciplinary collaboration.
• Microsoft Visual Studio
• Compilers, Debuggers
• Source control
• Git or GitLab.

Travel Required:

• 10% Domestic and International

Citizenship:

• Must be a US Person under ITAR definition (For example, a U.S. Citizen, green card holder or person covered under our existing ITAR license)

Physical Requirements:

• Onsite or remote: 95% Onsite in Bingen, WA
• Vision: able to see and read computer screens and other electronic equipment with screens, able to read documents, reports and engineering drawings daily.
• Hearing: able to participate in conversations in person and via teleconference or phone and to hear sounds on the production floor including safety warnings or alarms daily.
• Speaking: able to speak in conversations and meetings, deliver information and participate in communications daily.
• Equipment Operation (personal computer, telephone, copies, fax machine, and related office equipment and using electronic identification card to enter building floors and internal doors): able to operate most office and personal electronic equipment and some tools including production tools such as hydraulic lifts daily.
• Carrying: able to carry documents, tools, drawings, electronic equipment up to 30lbs/14kgs daily.
• Lifting: able to lift documents, tools, drawings, electronic equipment up to 30lbs/14kgs daily.
• Pushing / Pulling: able to push and pull small office furniture and some equipment and tools daily.
• Sitting: able to sit for long periods of time in meetings, working on the computer daily.
• Squatting / Kneeling: able to squat or kneel to retrieve or replace items stored on low shelving.
• Standing: able to stand for discussions in offices or on the production floor daily.
• Travel: able to travel independently and at short notice several times a month.
• Walking (include routine walking such as to a shared printer to retrieve documents): able to walk through office and production areas including uneven surfaces daily.
• Personal Protective Equipment required: Required PPE includes, but is not limited to, Safety Shoes, Safety Glasses, Hearing Protection, Respirators/Masks, and/or Protective Gloves as required by site and/or customer site
• Administrative position only PPE required: Steel-toed shoes are required for all shop floor visits, appropriate hearing/eye protection may also be required when visiting the shop floor.

Salary range based on the required profile: $147k to $23