Senior GNC Engineer - Flight Control Verification at Pivotal – Palo Alto, California

Senior GNC Engineer - Flight Control Verification

Pivotal is the leader in the emerging market of electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. We design, develop, and manufacture light eVTOL aircraft and are renowned for the BlackFly aircraft the world's first light eVTOL to fly manned missions and enter the consumer market.
Efficient, compact, and simple, Pivotal aircraft are designed for a wide range of consumer, public service, and defense applications. Our distinctive tilt-aircraft architecture and scalable platform have been flying for over 10 years. Last year we announced our next-generation aircraft, the Helix, which is rapidly progressing toward general release and scalable production in early 2026.
Mobility is one of the most highly-valued areas of modern technology investments. This is the right company, in the right space, the right strategy, at the right time. If you are ready for adventure, we invite you to join our amazing team and grow with us.
Pivotal is seeking a Senior GNC Engineer to focus on requirements definition, verification, and validation of GNC features for our eVTOL aircraft. This role emphasizes developing testable requirements, designing simulation and flight test cases, and ensuring that safety-critical features such as flight envelope limiters and state estimation are robust across worst-case scenarios. The position requires close collaboration with flight test, systems, and controls teams to validate designs at both the simulation and aircraft levels.Responsibilities

• Define and refine requirements for flight guidance, navigation and control features.
• Plan and execute system-level verification and validation activities, including MIL/SIL testing, simulations (e.g. Monte Carlo simulations) and flight test campaigns.
• Develop flight and/or simulation test cases that probe requirement compliance under worst-case environmental and system conditions.
• Collaborate with systems engineering and flight test teams to align requirements, simulation results, and flight validation.
• Analyze flight test data to evaluate compliance with requirements and identify gaps or edge cases.
• Document test plans, results, and compliance evidence for safety and certification purposes.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of verification processes, standards, and infrastructure.
• Mentor junior engineers on verification best practices.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in flight control systems, verification, or flight test support.
• Solid understanding of flight dynamics, state estimation (Kalman filters, sensor fusion, sensor characteristics) and control systems (envelope protection, stability, handling qualities).
• Demonstrated ability to define requirements and design verification strategies for safety-critical systems.
• Experience planning or executing flight test activities.
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills; able to work across teams.
• Proficiency with MATLAB/Simulink and Python for modeling and analysis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Simulink Test, test harness creation, automated regression, and coverage analysis.
• Familiarity with static/dynamic code analysis tools (e.g., Polyspace).
• Knowledge of safety/reliability standards (DO-178C, DO-331, ISO 26262, etc.).
• Familiarity with system identification and control analysis tools (e.g., CIFER, CONDUIT).
• Scripting experience (Python, MATLAB, etc.) for test automation and data analysis.
• Hands-on experience with UAVs, RC aircraft, or flight test instrumentation.
• Experience with version control (Git), requirements management tools, and scripting (Python, MATLAB).

Attributes aligned with Core Values

• Demonstrates a proactive safety mindset by embedding safety into daily operations, identifying and mitigating risks through assessments and training, encouraging open dialogue on safety concerns, and continuously improving protocols to ensure a safe work environment.
• Puts customers at the center of every action by deeply understanding their challenges, delivering exceptional value, and striving to exceed expectations to support their success as our core purpose.
• Actively seeks and values diverse stakeholder perspectives, builds cross-functional relationships, and fosters trust through empathetic, fact-based communicationcommitting to shared decisions for the greater good.
• Drives results with clarity and purpose by focusing on what matters most, adapting to change, taking initiative, and owning outcomes while aligning actions with a clear understanding of success at every level.
• Navigates ambiguity with resilience and bold thinking, challenges the status quo, and combines innovative ideas with practical best practices to overcome obstacles and drive progress.
• Fosters a high-performance culture grounded in respect, professionalism, and supportbalancing high expectations with a healthy, collaborative environment and being a trusted, dependable teammate.

Applicants must be eligible for employment in the United States and willing to work onsite at our HQ office in Palo Alto, CA.
Pivotal offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and 401k plans.
Pivotal is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Pivotal does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.
$152,000 - $172,000 a year