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Flight Control Systems Engineer

Joby Aviation

Santa Cruz, CAJob$115–198K/yrPosted 2w agoStill listed 1w ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$115–198K/yr
Location
Santa Cruz, CA
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Job overview

The Flight Control Systems Engineer implements and improves flight control algorithms, validates control-law designs through simulation and analysis, and develops tests for system behavior in labs and on aircraft. The role supports system debugging, certification requirements and test-case review, simulation frameworks, aircraft design refinement, and flight-test planning and support, including envelope-expansion testing.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Classical ControlsState-Space ControlsNumerical OptimizationMulti-Body DynamicsAerodynamicsElectrical PowertrainDigital Signal ProcessingReal-Time Embedded SystemsMATLAB/SimulinkC/C++PythonContinuous Integration PipelinesVirtual EnvironmentsLinuxPassion for Flying Machines

Qualifications

BS+3 or MS in Related Field3 Years of Experience

Benefits

Paid Time Off
Medical Insurance
401(k) Match

Full job description

Company Overview

Imagine an air taxi that takes-off vertically and quietly, carries you and your fellow passengers across the city streets below, bringing you to the people and places you want to spend time with via the uncongested electric sky. Since 2009, our team has worked steadily to make this dream a reality. We’ve designed and tested many generations of prototype aircraft capable of serving in the urban environment. We’re looking for talented, committed individuals to join our team as we push toward certifying the Joby aircraft, scaling our manufacturing, and launching our initial commercial service.

Overview

As a Flight Control Systems Engineer, you will be implementing and improving the flight control algorithm, running simulations and analysis to validate control law design, drafting tests to verify system level behavior in labs and on-aircraft. You will work alongside the system test team to debug and verify system performance and failure handling. You will help certification engineers draft and manage requirements and review test cases and procedures. You will work with the modeling team to create simulations and analysis frameworks for collecting and presenting critical design data. You will collaborate with the Aircraft, Safety, Avionics, Loads, Performance, and Rotor Dynamics teams to identify deficiencies and refine the aircraft design. You will work with test pilots to define desirable handling and flying characteristics, participate in mission planning, scenario simulations, and provide in-person support during envelope expansion flight testing. You will work with software engineers to ensure relevant tests are run and relevant artifacts are produced, stored, and linked.

Responsibilities

  • Simulation and analysis of aircraft responses

  • Development and implementation of flight control features

  • Data review from flight test and other testing platforms

  • Test case authorship

  • Tool development and continuous integration improvement

  • Requirement authorship and management

  • Authorship and management of artifacts used for compliance-showing

Required

  • B.S. + 3 years of experience, or M.S. in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, computer science, or a related field

  • Knowledge in classical controls, modern state-space controls, and numerical optimization

  • Knowledge in multi-body dynamics, aerodynamics, and electrical powertrain

  • Knowledge in digital signal processing and real-time embedded systems

  • Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink, C/C++, and Python

  • Proficiency with continuous integration pipelines, virtual environments, and Linux operating systems

Desired

  • Passion about flying machines

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $115,200 - $198,200/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.

Additional Information

Joby is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

How this job compares

Set against the 11,546 open Systems Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 4, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$115–198K/yr
  • California median$143–211K/yr1,759 salary ranges
  • US median$116–190K/yr8,481 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $157K, is 11% below the California median midpoint ($176K) — in the middle half of Systems Engineer salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 2,074 open Systems Engineer jobs in California and 11,546 across the US. 5% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
This posting asks for at least 3 years of experience; Systems Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (9,622 postings).
Education
4,535 of the 11,546 open Systems Engineer jobs (39%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 4, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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