UAV Flight Control Engineer- (PX4 / ArduPilot & Control Systems)

Job Description

UAV Flight Control Engineer- (PX4 / ArduPilot & Control Systems)

Santa Clara, CA | In-Person | Full-Time | Relocation not offered

Reports to: Head of Robotics

About HYFIX

HYFIX is building pioneering Spatial AI and autonomous systems to shape the future of intelligent technology. We are a global, forward-thinking team solving complex engineering challenges and delivering innovative, real-world autonomous solutions.

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced Lead Embedded / Flight Control Engineer to own the architecture, performance, and reliability of our drone flight control systems. This is a hands-on technical leadership role responsible for real-time firmware, flight stabilization, sensor fusion, and full-stack UAV integration.

This role is focused specifically on flight control systems, control loop tuning, and autopilot frameworks (PX4/ArduPilot)—not general embedded development.

Leadership & Ownership

· Serve as the technical authority for flight software

· Define architecture standards and embedded development workflows

· Mentor and grow embedded engineering talent

· Own system-level reliability, safety, and flight performance

This role defines the core intelligence that keeps our aircraft stable, responsive, and safe under real-world operating conditions.

What You Will Own

· Architecture and development of flight controller firmware

· Integration and customization of autopilot frameworks (PX4, ArduPilot)

· Real-time control systems (RTOS or bare-metal)

· Sensor fusion (IMU, GPS, magnetometer, barometer)

· Flight stabilization and PID control loop tuning

· Hardware bring-up and board-level debugging

· Communication protocols (CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, MAVLink)

· System-level safety, redundancy, and failsafe logic

Key Responsibilities

· Design, implement, and maintain high-reliability embedded firmware in C/C++

· Develop and tune attitude, rate, and position control loops

· Optimize deterministic timing performance in real-time systems

· Collaborate closely with electrical and mechanical engineers on system integration

· Lead code reviews and establish embedded development best practices

· Support flight testing, log analysis, and performance optimization

· Drive root-cause analysis for in-flight anomalies

· Establish scalable firmware architecture from prototype through production

What You Bring

· Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field

· 7+ years of embedded systems development experience

· 3+ years working on UAV, robotics, or real-time control systems

· Strong proficiency in C/C++

· Deep understanding of control theory and feedback systems

· Experience with real-time operating systems

· Sensor fusion expertise (e.g., Kalman filtering)

· Experience with CAN, SPI, I2C, UART communication buses

· ARM Cortex-M microcontroller experience

· Hardware-level debugging (oscilloscope, logic analyzer)

Preferred Qualifications

· Contributions to PX4 or ArduPilot codebases

· Experience with motor control and ESC integration

· Familiarity with MAVLink protocol

· Experience in safety-critical systems

· Background in aerospace or advanced robotics

· Experience leading small engineering teams

What Success Looks Like

· Stable, repeatable, high-performance flight behavior

· Clean, maintainable firmware architecture

· Reduced flight-test iteration cycles

· Clear documentation and scalable codebase

Benefits

· 401(k)

· Health, Dental & Vision Insurance

· Paid Time Off

· Professional Development Assistance

How to Apply

We’d love to hear from you! Send your resume and a short cover letter to recruiting@hyfix.ai