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Pivotal Aero

Produces personal, public-service eVTOL aircraft

GNC Model-Based Design Engineer

Flight Dynamics & GNCConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
ContractPalo Alto, CA, USA$139k - $160k /yr

About the Job

Requirements

  • A bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
  • At least 2 years of industry experience in model-based design, verification, or GNC software development, or a master's degree with relevant research.
  • Hands-on experience with MATLAB, Simulink, and Stateflow.
  • Experience writing requirements-based tests using Simulink Test or the MATLAB unit test framework.
  • Experience collecting and analyzing model or code coverage, such as decision, condition, and MC/DC coverage with Simulink Coverage.
  • Experience with requirements traceability using tools such as Requirements Toolbox, Jama, or DOORS.
  • Working understanding of control systems and state machines sufficient to read control law models and write meaningful tests for them.
  • Proficiency in MATLAB scripting and Python for test automation.
  • Experience with Git and CI/CD pipelines, such as GitLab CI or GitHub Actions.
  • Strong written communication and documentation skills, and the ability to work independently on a remote team.
  • Demonstrates a proactive safety mindset by embedding safety into daily work, identifying and mitigating risks, encouraging open dialogue about safety concerns, and continuously improving practices and protocols.
  • Puts customers at the center of every action by understanding their challenges, delivering meaningful value, and supporting their success.
  • Seeks and values diverse perspectives, builds cross-functional relationships, and fosters trust through empathetic, fact-based communication and commitment to shared decisions.
  • Drives results with clarity and purpose by focusing on what matters most, adapting to change, taking initiative, and owning outcomes.
  • Navigates ambiguity with resilience and bold thinking, challenges the status quo, and combines innovative ideas with practical approaches to overcome obstacles and drive progress.
  • Fosters a high-performance culture grounded in respect, professionalism, and support by balancing 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 the headquarters office in Palo Alto, California.

Responsibilities

  • Trace requirements from Jama to control system models, including control laws, state machines, and estimators, using Requirements Toolbox.
  • Link requirements to tests so traceability and requirements-based test coverage can be reported automatically and used for change impact analysis.
  • Flag gaps and ambiguities found while tracing and resolve them with the requirement owners.
  • Build an automated model-in-the-loop integration test framework that simulates complete flight missions and checks results against requirements.
  • Develop a test suite for the framework, turning simulations engineers already run during development into repeatable, automated tests.
  • Document the testing workflow and train the team to use it.
  • Develop Simulink Test and MATLAB unit tests for control core models and functions, working toward full structural coverage.
  • Automate model and code coverage reporting, and add coverage enforcement to the CI/CD pipeline.
  • Investigate and help close coverage gaps, including differences between model and code coverage and logic that cannot be exercised.
  • Help resolve Simulink Check findings against modeling guidelines, such as the MAB and high-integrity guidelines, so the checks can be enforced in the CI/CD pipeline.
  • Improve GitLab CI/CD pipelines for model-based development, including regression baselines, code generation, and automated reports.
  • Contribute to modeling guidelines and process documentation that support DO-331 objectives.

Desired Qualifications

  • Experience developing or verifying software under DO-178C and DO-331.
  • Experience with Simulink Check and Model Advisor, including writing custom Model Advisor checks.
  • Experience integrating Jama with Requirements Toolbox, for example through OSLC.
  • Experience with Embedded Coder code generation, software-in-the-loop testing, and MISRA C compliance or Polyspace.
  • Experience with Simulink Design Verifier for test generation or property proving.
  • Experience automating MATLAB toolchain workflows with Simulink Projects and the Project API.
  • Experience with flight control or GNC software for aircraft, UAVs, or eVTOL platforms.
  • Experience with agile development workflows and tools such as Jira and Confluence.
  • Experience using AI-assisted development tools, such as Claude, to speed up test development, coding, and documentation.
  • Interest in aviation, RC aircraft, or drones.

About the Company

Pivotal Aero

Produces personal, public-service eVTOL aircraft

Pivotal Aero designs and manufactures light electric eVTOL aircraft for personal use, public service, and defense. Its Helix is a single-seat, all-electric aircraft built on a fourth-generation eVTOL platform with tilt-architecture, a simple single-stick control, triple modular redundancy, and a ballistic parachute for safety. The aircraft is intended to meet FAA Part 103 ultralight guidelines, though customers must complete flight training; it is sold in configurations with options and starts around $190,000, with shipments beginning in 2024. The company differentiates itself by moving from prototype work to a product-delivery business, building on its SkyKar/Opener lineage, and has demonstrated activity such as pre-production BlackFly deliveries to the U.S. Air Force and emergency medical deployments to show its reach in both civilian and official operations.

Company size
51-200
Company stage
Not listed
Total funding
Not listed
Headquarters
Palo Alto, CA
Founded
2009

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