UAV / Flight Control Engineer

Alert Venture Foundry (AVF) is a well-funded venture studio catalyzing innovation in robotics and intelligent systems. We blend startup agility with deep domain knowledge, fostering high-performance engineering teams and scalable platforms from the ground up. From embedded systems to AI-driven enterprise platforms, we’re redefining the edge of possibility. You can learn more about us at www.alertventure.com/story.

We’re seeking a highly skilled and experienced UAV / Flight Control Engineer with a strong background in robotics or autonomous systems. The ideal candidate will bring experience developing and deploying complex algorithms on mobile and aerial robots. This role will focus on advancing our drone technology through cutting-edge solutions in motion planning, control, computer vision, and machine learning.

This a hybrid position based in North Billerica, MA (Greater Boston) office. Relocation expenses can be covered for the right candidate.

What you’ll do:

• Design, implement, and optimize a full flight control stack—from low-level systems that stabilize and steer the drone, to high-level software that enables autonomous navigation and mission execution.
• Architect full autonomy stacks, integrating sensor fusion, control loops, and planning modules.
• Lead development of state estimation, control, and trajectory planning pipelines.
• Own embedded software development on custom flight controllers and real-time operating systems.
• Prototype, field-test, and iterate on novel aerial vehicle designs.
• Collaborate closely with hardware, perception, and autonomy teams to bring ideas from whiteboard to flight test.
• Contribute to internal tooling for simulation, real-time data logging, and offboard analysis.
• Document technical designs and mentor junior engineers or interns as needed.

The ideal candidate has:

• 5 years in robotics, aerospace, or flight control systems (industry or research).
• Experience with drone hardware, flight controllers, and simulation environments.
• Experience in designing, building, and flying custom drones or robotic platforms.
• Hands-on experience with autonomous navigation, multi DOF navigation, agile multirotor flight, or drone racing (AlphaPilot-level competition or similar is highly desirable).
• Prior contributions to novel research platforms or control frameworks (e.g., omni-multirotors, MAVs, VTOL hybrids).
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, prototyping-heavy environment.
• Portfolio of real-world deployments, publications, or demonstrable robotics projects.
• MS or PhD in Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, or related field.

Technical skills we’re looking for:

• C , Python; real-time software architecture, embedded systems.
• Model Predictive Control (MPC), PID tuning, underactuated dynamics, state feedback controllers.
• EKF, sensor fusion (IMU, GPS, camera), Visual-Inertial Odometry.
• ROS, Gazebo, Isaac SIM, PX4, MAVSDK, or custom simulators.
• Visual SLAM, onboard perception, trajectory optimization, obstacle avoidance.
• Experience with IMUs, barometers, flight electronics, PCB-level integration.
• Comfort with field testing, telemetry analysis, and real-time system introspection.

While we've outlined our ideal candidate profile, we encourage you to apply even if you don't check every box. We're looking for passionate UAV engineers who can bring fresh perspectives to our team.