GNC Engineer, Controls

Founded in 2023, 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 350 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.

Support control design and evaluation for Mach’s fixed-wing aircraft. You’ll own your piece of the aircraft design, implementation, and validation of flight-critical control laws—spanning takeoff to landing—delivering robust performance across the full envelope.

• Design control systems within defined architecture and requirements for fixed-wing vehicles

• Design and implement control laws accounting for actuator limits, time delays, and sensor noise as part of the controls team

• Participate in system identification and aerodynamic model development from wind-tunnel, CFD, and flight-test data

• Execute verification & validation work: SIL/HIL campaigns, Monte Carlo, and flight-readiness criteria; communicate findings to the team and program leadership.

• Participate in flight-test planning and execution; analyze logs, tune controllers, and iterate safely and quickly.

• Learn from the controls team, carry your work through design/code reviews to meet roadmap goals and milestones.

• Education: Bachelors in Engineering, Physics, Mathematics

• Experience: 0-5 years designing, analyzing 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.

• Familiarity with modern C++ for embedded real-time implementations; strong MATLAB/Simulink/Python for modeling, ID, and analysis.

• Familiarity with verification workflows (SIL/HIL), requirements traceability, and safety reviews.

• Familiarity with modern software workflows (git, code review, issue tracking) and data/telemetry analysis.

• Practical and/or academic experience with modern/MIMO control design (LQR, LQG, LTR), system ID techniques, adaptive control

• 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)

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.