What are the responsibilities and job description for the Flight Control Engineer position at Quantum-Systems, Inc.?
Quantum Systems Inc. is a global leader in aerial intelligence and autonomous, AI-powered aerial robotics. We design, develop, manufacture and deliver eVTOL Unmanned Aircraft Systems UAS and an ecosystem of related products and services. Our business directly addresses the Defense and Security markets in North America, Asia Pacific and Latin America. We currently have an opening for a Flight Control Engineer III. This position will report to the Software Engineering Manager.
We are seeking a Flight Control Engineer III with deep expertise in quad‑copter dynamics, control algorithms, and real‑time flight‑control systems. In this role, you will design, implement, and tune the core control loops that govern stability, maneuverability, and autonomous behavior for our next‑generation UAS platforms. You will work closely with embedded software engineers, autonomy teams, and hardware designers to ensure that aircraft performance is precise, predictable, and robust across a wide range of mission profiles and environmental conditions.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and refine flight‑control algorithms for multirotor aircraft, including attitude control, rate control, position control, and trajectory tracking.
- Model, simulate, and analyze quad‑rotor flight dynamics, including nonlinear behavior, actuator limits, and aerodynamic effects.
- Implement control algorithms in real‑time embedded environments (e.g., NuttX, FreeRTOS, PX4‑based systems).
- Tune PID, LQR, MPC, or other control architectures for stability, responsiveness, and robustness.
- Integrate and validate sensor inputs (IMU, magnetometer, barometer, GPS, optical flow, LiDAR) for state estimation and control.
- Collaborate with hardware teams to characterize propulsion systems, ESC behavior, and motor dynamics.
- Conduct simulation‑based testing using tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, Gazebo, PX4 SITL, or custom environments.
- Support flight testing, data analysis, and iterative tuning to optimize real‑world performance.
- Develop tools for logging, telemetry analysis, and automated performance evaluation.
- Participate in system‑level architecture discussions for autonomy, navigation, and mission‑planning integration.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
- 3 years of experience developing flight‑control algorithms for multirotor or fixed‑wing UAS.
- Strong understanding of rigid‑body dynamics, control theory, and state estimation.
- Hands‑on experience with quad‑copter flight dynamics, including actuator modeling and sensor integration.
- Proficiency with MATLAB/Simulink, Python, or C/C for algorithm development and analysis.
- Experience implementing control algorithms on embedded systems or flight‑control stacks.
- Familiarity with PX4, ArduPilot, or custom autopilot architectures.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance may be required depending on program needs.
- Must be a U.S. citizen for export‑controlled technology.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with advanced control methods (MPC, adaptive control, nonlinear control).
- Background in sensor fusion (EKF, UKF, complementary filters).
- Experience with propulsion system characterization and thrust modeling.
- Familiarity with wind‑disturbance modeling, gust rejection, and robustness analysis.
- Experience with HIL testing, simulation frameworks, or automated flight‑test pipelines.
- Knowledge of autonomy frameworks, mission‑planning tools, or swarm‑control concepts.
- Experience with safety‑critical systems or aerospace certification processes.
Salary : $140,000 - $150,000