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FlightWave Aerospace - A Red Cat Company · 5 hours ago

Controls Engineering Manager

Torrance, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

$130K/yr - $175K/yr

5+ years exp

FlightWave Aerospace, a Red Cat Company, is seeking a Controls Engineering Manager who will be responsible for both hands-on control algorithm development and leading the controls team. The role involves designing and validating control loops for gimbal systems and VTOL platforms, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and developing simulation environments for product testing.

AerospaceData Collection and LabelingTransportation

No H1B

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

VTOL Controls: Architect and validate flight control loops (attitude, position, transition modes) for multirotor/VTOL vehicles

Embedded C++: Establish and enforce modern C++ coding standards, unit-testing frameworks, and continuous-integration workflows for real-time systems

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with mechanical, electrical, and firmware teams to define interfaces, run hardware-in-the-loop tests, and iterate control performance

System Validation: Develop hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and software-in-the-loop (SIL) test benches; analyze performance data and drive tuning cycles

Gimbal Product Development: Assist in the end-to-end creation of new gimbal products, focusing on core drive motor architecture and sensor system design and integration

Other duties as assigned

Develop a simulation environment for the Overload product to support early testing and iteration

Begin contributing to the core control algorithms, with a focus on stability, responsiveness, and system integration

Review and refine the Overwatch control loop, identifying areas for improvement and implementing necessary changes

Analyze the PX4 control stack to understand existing architecture and challenges relevant to our objectives

Build a dedicated simulation environment for Overwatch to accelerate development and validation of new control strategies

Qualification

Control Systems ExpertiseEmbedded Robotics BackgroundC++ SkillsSensor Integration ExpertiseGeometry & TransformationsFrame-Level ExpertiseLeadership & Project OwnershipPX4 Flight StackSimulation & URDFHardware DebuggingRTOS Proficiency

Required

Control Systems Expertise: 5+ years designing and implementing control algorithms for gimbals, stabilizers, or aerial vehicles

Embedded Robotics Background: Proven experience shipping embedded robotics products in C++ on microcontrollers (ARM Cortex-M, STM32, etc.)

Strong C++ Skills: Deep understanding of modern C++ (14/17/20), real-time constraints, memory management, and multithreading

Geometry & Transformations: Solid grasp of 3D kinematics, coordinate frames, quaternions, and homogeneous transforms

Frame-Level Expertise: Experience in one or more of attitude control, sensor fusion, target tracking or other complex frame-transformation problems, perception, and related system performance metrics

Sensor Integration Expertise: Hands-on experience integrating feedback sensors—such as IMUs, encoders, and related sensing hardware—into drive-system control loops

Leadership & Project Ownership: 1+ year(s) leadership experience as a technical lead—mentoring peers, driving design reviews, and owning projects end-to-end from requirements through delivery

Preferred

PX4 Flight Stack: Hands-on with PX4 middleware, MAVLink, and QGroundControl integration

Simulation & URDF: Experience working with URDF-based modeling and robotics simulation environments

Hardware Debugging: Proficient with oscilloscope, logic analyzer, and hardware debugging tools

RTOS Proficiency: Experience with FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or similar real-time operating systems

Benefits

Generous annual equity package

Company

FlightWave Aerospace - A Red Cat Company

FlightWave Aerospace is a division of Red Cat, focused on delivering extended short-range, endurance-optimized uncrewed aircraft for mission-critical operations.

Founded in 2014

Santa Monica, California, USA

51-200 employees