Senior GNC Engineer - Flight Control Verification

Team: Aircraft Software

Location: Palo Alto, CA

Commitment: Full-time (Exempt)

Workplace Type: onsite

Responsibilities

• Define and refine requirements for flight guidance, navigation and control features.
• Plan and execute system-level verification and validation activities, including MIL/SIL testing, simulations (e.g. Monte Carlo simulations) and flight test campaigns.
• Develop flight and/or simulation test cases that probe requirement compliance under worst-case environmental and system conditions.
• Collaborate with systems engineering and flight test teams to align requirements, simulation results, and flight validation.
• Analyze flight test data to evaluate compliance with requirements and identify gaps or edge cases.
• Document test plans, results, and compliance evidence for safety and certification purposes.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of verification processes, standards, and infrastructure.
• Mentor junior engineers on verification best practices.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in flight control systems, verification, or flight test support.
• Solid understanding of flight dynamics, state estimation (Kalman filters, sensor fusion, sensor characteristics) and control systems (envelope protection, stability, handling qualities).
• Demonstrated ability to define requirements and design verification strategies for safety-critical systems.
• Experience planning or executing flight test activities.
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills; able to work across teams.
• Proficiency with MATLAB/Simulink and Python for modeling and analysis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Simulink Test, test harness creation, automated regression, and coverage analysis.
• Familiarity with static/dynamic code analysis tools (e.g., Polyspace).
• Knowledge of safety/reliability standards (DO-178C, DO-331, ISO 26262, etc.).
• Familiarity with system identification and control analysis tools (e.g., CIFER, CONDUIT).
• Scripting experience (Python, MATLAB, etc.) for test automation and data analysis.
• Hands-on experience with UAVs, RC aircraft, or flight test instrumentation.
• Experience with version control (Git), requirements management tools, and scripting (Python, MATLAB).

Attributes aligned with Core Values

• Demonstrates a proactive safety mindset by embedding safety into daily operations, identifying and mitigating risks through assessments and training, encouraging open dialogue on safety concerns, and continuously improving protocols to ensure a safe work environment.
• Puts customers at the center of every action by deeply understanding their challenges, delivering exceptional value, and striving to exceed expectations to support their success as our core purpose.
• Actively seeks and values diverse stakeholder perspectives, builds cross-functional relationships, and fosters trust through empathetic, fact-based communication—committing to shared decisions for the greater good.
• Drives results with clarity and purpose by focusing on what matters most, adapting to change, taking initiative, and owning outcomes while aligning actions with a clear understanding of success at every level.
• Navigates ambiguity with resilience and bold thinking, challenges the status quo, and combines innovative ideas with practical best practices to overcome obstacles and drive progress.
• Fosters a high-performance culture grounded in respect, professionalism, and support—balancing high expectations with a healthy, collaborative environment and being a trusted, dependable teammate.