Full-Time
Senior Engineer
Supernal
201-500 employees
Develops eVTOLs for urban air mobility
Compensation Overview
$134.6k - $164.6k/yr
Irvine, CA, USA
In Person
On-site five days per week. Travel up to approximately 10% domestically and internationally.
Bachelor's
 Aerospace Engineering (1) |
|---|
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- A bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, control systems engineering, or a related technical field is required.
- A minimum of five years of relevant experience is required.
- Experience in flight dynamics, flight controls, control law analysis, handling qualities evaluation, aircraft simulation, or flight test support is required.
- Experience using MATLAB/Simulink for modeling, simulation, control law integration, or dynamic system analysis is required.
- Experience developing, using, or reviewing engineering simulation environments for aircraft, rotorcraft, powered lift aircraft, or other complex vehicle systems is required.
- A general understanding of engineering simulation fundamentals, especially as applied to aircraft flight simulation and vehicle response evaluation, is required.
- Strong understanding of flight dynamics, stability and control, and aircraft response characteristics is required.
- Working knowledge of flight control law concepts, including control modes, gain scheduling, stability augmentation, and mode transition behavior, is required.
- Understanding of handling qualities fundamentals, including controllability, pilot workload, and pilot vehicle interaction, is required.
- Ability to evaluate closed-loop aircraft response using simulation results, flight dynamics models, and engineering judgment is required.
- Ability to review simulation model assumptions, control law behavior, test data, and technical limitations is required.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are required.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills are required.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail are required.
- Ability to independently prioritize and accomplish work within time constraints is required.
- Willingness to travel up to approximately 10% domestically and internationally is required.
- Review and assess flight control law behavior, control modes, gain schedules, and closed-loop aircraft response.
- Use flight dynamics models and simulation results to evaluate stability, controllability, handling qualities, and aircraft response characteristics.
- Support analysis of stability augmentation, attitude hold, envelope protection, mode transition, and selected failure-mode behavior.
- Document technical findings, risks, assumptions, and recommendations for design reviews and technical discussions.
- Support handling qualities evaluations using simulation results, pilot feedback, flight dynamics analysis, and applicable industry guidance.
- Assist in defining evaluation maneuvers, simulation cases, assessment criteria, and data review methods.
- Support pilot-in-the-loop simulation activities to assess vehicle response, workload, controllability, and pilot-vehicle interaction.
- Provide technical input to aircraft-level design decisions influenced by handling qualities or pilot-vehicle interaction.
- Support the development, maintenance, and use of flight simulation environments for control-law and handling-qualities evaluations.
- Review simulation model assumptions, control-law integration, interfaces, and model fidelity for aircraft response assessment.
- Support requirement verification activities using analysis, simulation, ground-test data, and flight-test data.
- Assist with test planning, preflight simulation, and post-test data review related to control-law and handling-qualities evaluations.
- Work with other groups to support integrated aircraft-level technical reviews.
- Support multidisciplinary trade studies where control-law behavior, vehicle dynamics, or handling qualities affect aircraft design decisions.
- Perform additional duties as assigned in support of Flight Sciences and aircraft development activities.
- Experience with physics-based flight dynamics simulation tools such as FLIGHTLAB or similar aircraft modeling and simulation tools.
- Experience with real-time simulation, pilot-in-the-loop simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, or integrated simulation environments.
- Familiarity with aircraft handling qualities, flight-control modes, stability and control, system interfaces, or flight-test data analysis.
- Familiarity with interface messaging, avionics communication protocols, or simulation interface standards such as CIGI.
- Experience reviewing supplier, partner, or cross-functional engineering deliverables.
Supernal develops electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for urban air mobility. Its flagship S-A2 uses eight tilting rotors to take off and land vertically, enabling zero-emission city travel. It earns revenue by selling or leasing aircraft to operators and by providing maintenance, software updates, and fleet management to integrate with city transportation networks. The company aims to coordinate vehicle design with city planning and safety to reduce ground traffic and carbon emissions.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Washington DC, District of Columbia
Founded
2020
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- May 10, 2026 KAI MoU restarted development and broadened Supernal's engineering bench.
- May 5, 2026 CTO Farhan Gandhi brought aerospace credibility after months of turmoil.
- March 2025 CHC and Heli-One collaboration gives a commercialization pathway beyond vehicle design.
What critics are saying
- February 27, 2026 layoffs cut 296 employees, leaving only 70 to 80 staff.
- September 2025 program pause and no CEO leave Supernal without stable execution leadership.
- 2028 certification slips after collapse, and Hyundai can kill Supernal if progress stalls.
What makes Supernal unique
- Hyundai Motor Group bankrolls Supernal with automotive manufacturing discipline and capital.
- May 2026 KAI partnership adds certified aircraft design, airframes, supply chains, and customer networks.
- CHC Helicopter and Heli-One position Supernal for operations and maintenance, not just prototypes.
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Benefits
Performance Bonus
Company News
Hyundai jumps on the eVTOL train under new partnership. Thu, May 14, 2026 Car maker signs mou with Korea Aerospace Industries to develop electric aircraft. Hyundai has finally put its six years of eVTOL development rumors into writing, inking a Memorandum of Understanding with Korea Aerospace Industries for the creation of future Advanced Air Mobility aircraft. Within the duo, Hyundai is responsible for bringing the electric powertrain and mass-production experience, and KAI brings the aircraft development side. The memorandum of understanding was signed in Seoul with senior executives from both companies, including Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chair Jaehoon Chang and KAI President and CEO Jong-chool Kim. Under the agreement, Hyundai's US-based air mobility subsidiary, Supernal, will work with KAI on the aircraft itself. Hyundai Motor Group and KAI also collaborate on electrified aviation powertrains. The companies have already started working through the nitty-gritty, claiming that the partnership will extend into supply chains, certification, and global customer networks. Certification alone is a major hurdle, but luckily, KAI's experience with fixed-wing and rotorcraft programs gives Hyundai something it missed from doing automotive engineering alone. While the announcement was new, the idea was not. The company unveiled its urban air mobility vision at CES in 2020 and later created Supernal in 2021 to push the concept toward real aircraft development. Supernal has since showcased a battery-electric eVTOL concept aimed at short urban trips, with earlier plans pointing toward commercial use later this decade. KAI is taking the partnership as a way to expand out of its military-heavy portfolio and move deeper into civilian aviation. The company has built aircraft such as the KT-1 trainer and has been working on AAM technologies ranging from electric distributed propulsion to even AI-pilot demonstrator concepts. The partnership also carries history. Hyundai was once tied to KAI through Hyundai Space and Aircraft, but that relationship ended after Hyundai sold its KAI stake in 2016.
Farhan Gandhi new CTO at Supernal. Supernal is part Hyundai May 5, 2026 Supernal, the flying taxi company of Hyundai Motor Group, said it has appointed Farhan Gandhi as its chief technology officer. Prior to joining Supernal, Gandhi was a distinguished professor in Aerospace Engineering at North Carolina State University. The company also said in a statement on Monday that it is in a "period of focused internal validation" after laying off a majority of its staff earlier this year. Want more from the best local business newspaper in the country? Sign-up for its FREE Daily eNews update to get the latest Orange County news delivered right to your inbox! One-Year for Only $99 * Unlimited access to OCBJ.com * Daily OCBJ Updates delivered via email each weekday morning * Journal issues in both print and digital format * The annual Book of Lists: industry of Orange County's leading companies * Special Features: OC's Wealthiest, OC 500, Best Places to Work, Charity Event Guide, and many more!
Uber Air Taxi: skip LA traffic for the price of an Uber Black? Apr 3, 2026 1:40 PM PDT The sky-high shakeup: Uber Air Taxi set for takeoff as Hyundai hits turbulence. The dream of the "flying car" just took two very different turns. While Hyundai's ambitious air mobility wing, Supernal, recently underwent a massive restructuring - laying off 296 employees (nearly 80% of its 380-person staff) - ride-hailing giant Uber is doubling down. Moving from the drawing board to the flight deck, the Uber Air Taxi service is officially entering its commercialization phase, promising to turn hour-long gridlock into a few minutes of scenic flight. Hyundai's "strategic pivot" vs. Uber's global launch. Industry analysts suggest Supernal is struggling to keep pace with competitors and prove the immediate commercial viability of its craft. Despite the layoffs, Hyundai maintains it isn't shutting down, but rather "optimizing" for the long term. Meanwhile, Uber has a much tighter timeline. Partnering with aerospace startup Joby Aviation, Uber plans to launch its first commercial air taxi service in Dubai by the end of 2026. Following a six-year exclusive agreement in the UAE, the service is expected to land in major U.S. hubs like Los Angeles as soon as the FAA gives the final green light. How it works: booking your flight in the Uber app. The Uber Air Taxi experience is designed to be as seamless as ordering a sandwich. When the service goes live, users will see "Uber Air" as a premium option right alongside UberX and Uber Black. * The Integrated Journey: Choosing the air option doesn't just get you a flight. It organizes a "multi-modal" trip: an Uber Black picks you up, drops you at a "vertiport" (a specialized landing pad), you fly over the traffic, and another vehicle meets you at the destination. * The Cost: While exact pricing remains under wraps, Uber indicates that the aerial portion will be priced similarly to an Uber Black trip on the ground. You'll see the total price per passenger before you tap "Confirm." Inside the machine: The Joby evtol. The aircraft itself is a marvel of 2026 tech. The Joby-developed craft is a 4-passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle featuring: * Performance: 6 tilting propellers allowing for a top speed of 200 mph and a 100-mile range per charge. * Quiet Luxury: Designed specifically for urban environments, the craft is remarkably silent and features large panoramic windows for a "VIP" view of the city. * Safety Record: The aircraft has already logged over 50,000 miles in test flights and is currently in the final stages of FAA type certification. The bottom line. The race for the skies is narrowing. While some manufacturers are scaling back to refine their tech, Uber and Joby are betting that the world is ready to look up. If the Dubai launch succeeds this year, your morning commute above the 405 might be closer than you think. BY HOONSIK WOO [[email protected]]
Supernal, a Hyundai-backed air taxi startup based in Irvine, has laid off 296 employees, approximately 80% of its workforce. The company will retain a skeleton staff of 70 to 80 employees as it restructures operations. The cuts affected staff at the Mojave Air & Space Port test facility, as well as offices in Orange County and Fremont. Operations will consolidate to the Irvine headquarters, where the company relocated from Washington, D.C., in 2023. Supernal is developing the S-A2, a four-passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, with certification previously planned for 2028. That timeline is likely to be delayed as the company pauses aircraft development. Competitors Joby and Archer Aviation are targeting limited service for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Supernal, Hyundai's US-based electric air taxi unit, has laid off 296 employees — approximately 80% of its workforce — in what the company calls a "strategic pivot". The cuts were made to optimise staffing and cost structures for long-term aircraft development. The layoffs leave Supernal with a skeleton staff of 70 to 80 people, consolidating operations at its Irvine, California headquarters. The company, which began tethered flight testing of its S-A2 air taxi demonstrator last year, has lagged behind competitors and previously targeted certification and commercial operations in 2028. A spokesperson emphasised Supernal is "not shutting down" and that Hyundai "remains committed" to advanced air mobility. The company will focus on stabilising operations, developing a new business model, and creating a commercially viable aircraft.