Principal Controls Engineer

Mach Industries

$120K — $150K *
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelors in Engineering, Physics, or Mathematics required
  • 8+ years of experience in flight control systems for fixed-wing aircraft or high-performance UAVs
  • Deep knowledge of flight dynamics and actuator/sensor modeling
  • Proficient in modern C++ and strong in MATLAB/Python for modeling and analysis
  • Experience with verification workflows and safety reviews
  • Familiarity with software workflows including git and code review.

Responsibilities

  • Define the control system architecture and requirements for fixed-wing vehicles
  • Design and implement control laws considering actuator limits and sensor noise
  • Lead system identification and model development using diverse data inputs
  • Develop fault-tolerant strategies with graceful degradation
  • Own verification and validation processes including flight-readiness criteria
  • Drive flight-test planning and execution while analyzing logs and tuning controllers
  • Mentor the controls team and conduct technical standards reviews.

Benefits

  • Health insurance
  • Retirement plans
  • Opportunities for professional development
  • Highly competitive equity grants
  • Commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Full Job Description
About Mach Industries

Founded in 2022, Mach Industries is a rapidly growing defense technology company focused on developing next-generation autonomous defense platforms. At the core of our mission is the commitment to delivering scalable, decentralized defense systems that enhance the strategic capabilities of the United States and its allies. With a workforce of approximately 180 employees, we operate with startup agility and ambition.

Our vision is to redefine the future of warfare through cutting-edge manufacturing, innovation at speed, and unwavering focus on national security. We are dedicated to solving the next generation of warfare with lethal systems that deter kinetic conflict and protect global security.

The Role

Own the control architecture for Mach's fixed-wing aircraft. You'll lead the design, implementation, and validation of flight-critical control laws-spanning takeoff to landing-delivering robust performance across the full envelope.

Key Responsibilities
  • Define control system architecture and requirements for fixed-wing vehicles (primary flight control, envelope protection, autothrottle/energy mgmt, and mode logic).
  • Design and implement control laws accounting for actuator limits, time delays, and sensor noise.
  • Lead system identification and aerodynamic model development from wind-tunnel, CFD, and flight-test data; build accurate linearizations
  • Develop fault-tolerant and reconfiguration strategies (sensor/actuator FDI, control allocation, redundancy mgmt) with graceful degradation.
  • Own verification & validation: SIL/HIL campaigns, Monte Carlo, and flight-readiness criteria; establish performance dashboards.
  • Drive flight-test planning and execution; analyze logs, tune controllers, and iterate safely and quickly.
  • Mentor the controls team, set technical standards, conduct design/code reviews, and influence roadmap and milestones.


Required Qualifications
  • Education: Bachelors in Engineering, Physics, Mathematics
  • Experience: 8+ years designing and fielding flight control systems for fixed-wing aircraft or high-performance UAVs, including flight test.
  • Deep knowledge of flight dynamics, stability/controllability, and actuator/sensor modeling.
  • Proficiency in modern C++ for embedded real-time implementations; strong MATLAB/Python for modeling, ID, and analysis.
  • Demonstrated ownership of verification workflows (SIL/HIL), requirements traceability, and safety reviews.
  • Familiarity with modern software workflows (git, code review, issue tracking) and data/telemetry analysis.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with energy-based control, autothrottle, sideslip/yaw coordination, and advanced control allocation for over-actuated systems
  • Experience integrating with PX4 and ROS 2. Exposure to DO-178C/DO-331/ARP4754A processes or equivalent rigor.
  • Comfort optimizing for resource-constrained processors and hard real-time constraints (latency/jitter budgets, numerics)


Disclosures

This position may require access to information protected under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Please note that any offer for employment may be conditioned on authorization to receive software or technology controlled under these U.S. export control laws and regulations without sponsorship for an export license.

Mach participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offers may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and training, critical skills, and business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in most offers and are considered part of Mach's total compensation package. Mach offers benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and opportunities for professional development.

Mach is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic per federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws. If you'd like to defend the American way of life, please reach out!

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