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

Job Overview

Job Description

UAV Flight Control Engineer- (PX4 / ArduPilot & Control
Systems)
Santa Clara, CA In-Person Full-Time

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.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++
• 5+ years of industry experience in embedded systems and controls
development for UAV, robotics, aerospace, or related autonomous platforms
• 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