---
title: Staff GNC Engineer Flight Controls at Pivotal
description: Pivotal is hiring for the Staff GNC Engineer Flight Controls role in Palo Alto,
  CA. Full-time, on-site role. See the full description and apply.
type: job
url: https://www.foundrole.com/jobs/staff-gnc-engineer-flight-controls-at-pivotal-01a178ce-fcce-7513-8930-75cbc70ed90c
date: 2026-11-15T17:42:40Z
og_description: Join Pivotal as Staff GNC Engineer Flight Controls in Palo Alto, CA. Pays $200K–$235K
  per year. Full-time, on-site role.
og_image: https://www.foundrole.com/og/faevk1.png
breadcrumbs:
  - label: Home
    url: https://www.foundrole.com/
  - label: Search
    url: https://www.foundrole.com/jobs
---

| | |
|---|---|
| **Company** | Pivotal |
| **Location** | Palo Alto, CA |
| **Salary** | $200K/yr - $235K/yr |
| **Type** | Full Time |
| **Posted** | Oct 26, 2026 |

## Is this job real?

**Ghost job check:** B · Low risk. Probably a real opening.

## Visa sponsorship

- **H-1B:** Pivotal sponsors H-1B visas. It filed 11 H-1B petitions (FY2026 Q1 – FY2026 Q4).
- **E-Verify:** No E-Verify enrollment on record for Pivotal.

## Pay for similar jobs

Most similar jobs pay $162,000 – $194,000 a year (median $175,000).

## Description

# About the Role

The GNC team at Pivotal develops the flight control and navigation algorithms that let our aircraft fly safely and precisely, including on the Helix family of aircraft. We are looking for a Staff GNC Engineer to lead flight control law development on an aircraft program: owning the control law architecture and its design, tuning, and verification from simulation through flight test.  

You will set the technical direction for how our aircraft are controlled in hover, transition, and forward flight. That includes defining the control law architecture and design criteria, using system identification and flight data to improve our models, and making sure the control laws meet stability, performance, and handling qualities requirements. You will also be a team lead for flight controls, setting priorities for the team, overseeing its technical work, and mentoring the engineers on it, while working closely with the navigation, firmware, aeromechanical, systems engineering, safety, and flight test teams.  

The ideal candidate has a track record of taking flight control laws from design to flight on real aircraft, ideally VTOL, rotorcraft, or eVTOL, and the judgment to make sound design and flight test decisions with incomplete information. This role is a strong next step for an engineer who has grown through hands-on flight controls work and is ready to lead a team.
## Skills

- Systems Engineering
- Technical Direction
- Flight Testing
- Mentoring
- Navigation
- Aircraft Flight Control Systems
- Firmware

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