Autonomy Engineer - Fixed Wing Planning & Controls

Skydio Skydio · Defense · San Mateo, CA +1 · R&D

This role focuses on the core planning and control stack for autonomous flight in drones, specifically for a tailsitter platform. It involves architecting, implementing, simulating, and flight testing motion planning strategies and flight controllers, as well as refining aerodynamic and dynamic models. The role requires strong C++ and Python skills, experience shipping software for real hardware (drones, robots), and knowledge of control theory and optimization.

What you'd actually do

  1. Architect, implement, simulate, and flight test new motion planning strategies
  2. Develop, tune, and analyze new flight controllers
  3. Refine and understand the aerodynamic and dynamic model of a tailsitter aircraft using simulated and flight test data
  4. Inform aspects of hardware design such as sensor requirements and aerodynamic control authority through simulation and analysis
  5. Get out of your comfort zone and help across the stack where needed

Skills

Required

  • C++
  • Python
  • real-time contexts
  • shipping software that controls real hardware
  • aircraft and rotorcraft dynamics
  • non-linear optimization
  • Modern and classical control theory and practice
  • software engineering fundamentals

What the JD emphasized

  • Experience shipping software that controls real hardware, e.g. aircraft, drones, robots, etc.