Sr Staff Stability And Control / Performance Engineer

We are developing a fully autonomous all-electric aircraft that will operate safely in an urban air-mobility environment. We are looking for a Sr. Staff Stability and Control (S&C) Engineer to join our team to support the design of this vehicle. The goal of this individual is to ensure that this vehicle meets S&C requirements internal to Wisk and operates in accordance with all relevant certification requirements. The successful candidate will work within the S&C and Performance teams that are part of a larger Flight Dynamics organization that includes the aerodynamics, loads, mass properties and GNC disciplines.

Why we need you:

• The goal of the S&C and Performance group at Wisk is to create, modify, and run in-house tools to perform linear and non-linear Stability and Control analyses and/or estimate critical performance parameters, such as stall speeds, best rate of climb, climb ceiling, maximum range, noise profiles and energy reserves.
• The successful candidate has direct hands-on experience developing and building type certified aircraft, from initial concept through flight testing and certification, with the technical breadth necessary to interface with all engineering functions such as Systems & Safety Engineering, Hardware, Software, Manufacturing, Test, and Certification. In this role, the candidate must be a highly motivated, self-starting individual with a broad set of skills and never afraid of facing complex technical challenges.

What you will do:

• Principally you will analyze the vehicle's Stability and Control along longitudinal and directional/lateral axes. This will include evaluating the vehicle's tendency to reject/amplify disturbances, and will quantify the vehicle's behavior relative to specific dynamic modes (such as Dutch roll, spiral and phugoid modes). These analyses will be conducted for all phases of flight including hover, transition and wingborne operations.
• Create, modify, and run six degrees of freedom (6DOF) Simulink based trajectory simulations that quantify the vehicle's operating state for a commanded mission profile. This will include simulations of specific Mission Task Elements as well as full flight plans.
• Ensure that systems of flight controls in conjunction with failure rate data meet safety and reliability requirements.
• Estimate critical performance parameters, such as stall speeds, best rate of climb, climb ceiling, maximum range and energy reserves
• Develop and validate physics-based performance models that include mathematical models of various rotorcraft components (tilt rotors, vertical rotors, batteries, fuselage)
• Participate in wind-tunnel/flight testing and analyze data to support S&C and performance analyses and validation
• Suggest, develop, and improve tools & processes for performance analysis and optimization of flight mission planning for an autonomous aircraft
• Author methodology documents to support certification with FAR Part 23/25/27 requirements

What you have done:

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, or another relevant discipline
• 10+ years of experience doing detailed S&C analyses on fixed wing aircraft and/or rotorcraft
• Gained strong knowledge of aircraft flight characteristics, Stability and Control analyses and associated methodologies and tools development
• Knowledge of aerodynamic modeling and simulation and the use of flight simulation models
• Ability to question traditional assumptions and apply your knowledge to novel eVTOL designs and operational scenarios
• Knowledge of Aircraft Certification Processes and Standards for FAA Part 23/25
• Excellent understanding of key concepts and equations for performance and flight characteristics analysis
• Experience with scripting languages (Python and MATLAB/Simulink) and automation

Desired:

• M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or another relevant discipline
• 15+ years of aircraft performance analysis experience working on complex aerospace systems
• Understanding of fixed-wing and/or rotorcraft aerodynamics, including familiarity with the use of RANS CFD codes and lower fidelity tools such as Xfoil & AVL
• Previous FAA Part 23/25 and/or Part 27 certification program experience preferred
• FAA Flight Analyst Designated Engineering Representative (DER) for Part 23/25/27 
• Knowledge of rotorcraft performance and the theories associated with propeller and rotor-driven propulsion
• Experience on at least one fully-augmented fly-by-wire aircraft and/or rotorcraft program
• Experience with aircraft and/or rotorcraft control actuation systems
• Experience with wind tunnel, simulation and flight tests for aircraft flight characteristics and performance.

Who you are:

• You are a highly motivated, self starting individual with a broad set of skills and never afraid of facing complex technical challenges
• You are a solution oriented individual with a strong analytical mindset
• You have strong communication skills and can easily tailor your communications to suit the audience
• You can adapt quickly or propose changes needed to achieve early results in a timely fashion
• You embrace challenges and take commitments and deliver results within reasonable expectations
• You are a positive team player

$150,893 - $173,441 a year

In addition to offering a great work environment and the opportunity to be part of the team making electric autonomous flight a reality, at Wisk, we offer excellent total rewards which include a competitive base salary, annual bonus, long term incentive, 401K, health benefits and much more.  

Job Type: Full-time

Pay Range the Company expects to pay:  $150,893 - $173,441  per year - The starting base salary within this range for this role varies based on factors such as your geographical location, and your relevant job-related experience that is consistent with a business necessity.

We are located in Mountain View just a couple of hundred feet from Shoreline Lake and its surrounding walking/jogging trails. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision and life insurance, alternative work schedule (9/80), flexible time off, 11 company holidays, a 401(k) plan with 50% company matching vested immediately, commuter assistance, and education assistance. And on top of all that, we also offer a variety of perks such as free catered lunches, flight lessons, wellness allowances, snacks, drinks, fruit, employee referral bonus, charitable giving match, patent bonus program, happy hours and much more.

Wisk Aero provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Wisk Aero abides by applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Wisk Aero is an E-Verify employer.