Los Angeles

Principal Aircraft Controls Engineer

Posted on Thursday, 15th October 2026

Aerospace and Aviation
Los Angeles
$200k - 260k per year + Equity + Extensive benefits
Permanent

Principal Controls Engineer

On-site LA | $200 to $260k DOE plus Strong Equity | 2 stage interview

iO Associates’ US green aviation partner is ramping a flagship aircraft programme through certification and into commercial service and requires a senior, hands on controls expert to lead certifiable aircraft control software and avionics, from development through ground test, flight test and FAA approval.

You will own the power-management controller and help shape the wider cockpit and avionics architecture around it. This is a key hire, reporting directly to the Exec, with occasional travel for flight test activity

You will be responsible for:

  • Leading the development and certification of powertrain-control avionics and DO-178C software.
  • Delivering DO-178C software hands-on as the top priority, using model-based development (Simulink auto-code) and direct coding (C or C++) where needed.
  • Refining and aligning requirements to the controls hardware and software being developed (ARP4754B, left side of the V).
  • Supporting verification activity and helping the team produce certification-ready evidence (right side of the V).
  • Integrating and testing controller units across dyno, iron-bird and flight-test environments, and leading qualification and certification test activity.

You must have:

  • Strong aerospace, avionics, flight-deck or safety-critical embedded-controls experience.
  • Deep DO-178C delivery experience, including the ability to write certifiable code using Simulink and model-based design and auto-code generation experience, plus comfort in C or C++.
  • Experience taking a DO-178C programme through certification (evidence, reviews, audit-readiness).
  • The ability to translate requirements into implementable hardware and software deliverables, then support verification through to evidence.
  • Bonus if you have DO-254 exposure.

If you have led the delivery of certifiable avionics or aircraft controls and want to own a core product on an emerging aircraft programme, get in touch now to arrange a call.

Interviews are available ASAP.

Apply for this role