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Flight Control System Safety Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Lockheed Martin

System Safety Engineer

Littleton, CO · On-site

As a Systems Engineer, you will serve as the FBM Program System Safety Engineer, focusing on performing and leading safety analysis across the FBM program. In this role you will: • Analyze hardware ...

Forterra

Senior System Safety Engineer

Clarksburg, MD · On-site

$145K - $175K/yr

Our systems operate with distributed control, dynamic routing, and real-time responsiveness ... As a Systems Safety Engineer, you will be a part of the Safety Engineering organization. Our Team ...

Cirrus Aircraft

AD&D System Safety Engineer Staff

Duluth, MN · On-site

$113K - $169K/yr

Job Summary The AD&D System Safety Engineer defines and leads system safety strategy for earlyphase ... Support safety of flight determination for first flights. * Identify Failure Modes and Effects Test ...

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Flight Control System Safety Engineer information

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$61K

$108.8K

$175.5K

How much do flight control system safety engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for flight control system safety engineer in the United States is $108,776.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $84,000.00 and $126,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Flight Control System Safety Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Flight Control System Safety Engineer, you need a solid background in aerospace engineering, control systems, and safety analysis, often supported by a relevant engineering degree and knowledge of regulatory standards. Familiarity with safety assessment tools (such as FMEA and FHA), modeling software (like MATLAB/Simulink), and certification processes (e.g., DO-178C, ARP4754A) is crucial. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication skills set exceptional candidates apart in this role. These competencies are vital to ensure the reliability and regulatory compliance of flight control systems, directly impacting aircraft safety and performance.

What is the difference between Flight Control System Safety Engineer vs Flight Software Engineer?

AspectFlight Control System Safety EngineerFlight Software Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Aerospace, Systems Engineering; safety certifications (e.g., FAA, DO-178C)Bachelor's or Master's in Software Engineering, Computer Science; programming certifications
Work EnvironmentDesign, analyze, and validate safety aspects of flight control systems in aerospace settingsDevelop, test, and maintain flight software for aerospace applications
Employer & Industry UsagePrimarily aerospace manufacturers, defense contractors, and aviation companiesAircraft manufacturers, aerospace firms, and defense industry

The Flight Control System Safety Engineer focuses on ensuring the safety and reliability of flight control systems, emphasizing safety analysis and certification. In contrast, the Flight Software Engineer concentrates on developing and maintaining the software that runs these systems. Both roles often collaborate but serve distinct functions within aerospace projects.

What are Flight Control System Safety Engineers?

Flight Control System Safety Engineers are professionals who specialize in ensuring the safety and reliability of flight control systems in aircraft. They analyze potential hazards, design safety protocols, and work with engineering teams to mitigate risks associated with flight controls. Their responsibilities include conducting safety assessments, supporting regulatory certification processes, and ensuring compliance with aviation safety standards. These engineers play a critical role in both the development of new aircraft and the maintenance of existing fleets to ensure safe operation.

What are some common challenges faced by a Flight Control System Safety Engineer in ensuring compliance with aviation safety standards?

Flight Control System Safety Engineers often encounter challenges related to balancing innovative design solutions with strict regulatory requirements. Ensuring that all components meet rigorous safety standards, such as those set by the FAA or EASA, requires meticulous documentation, thorough risk assessments, and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams. Additionally, keeping up with evolving regulations and integrating safety considerations early in the design process can be demanding but is essential for certification. These engineers work closely with design, testing, and quality assurance teams to identify potential hazards and implement robust mitigation strategies.
Infographic showing various Flight Control System Safety Engineer job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 81% Full Time, and 19% Contract. Highlights an 90% In-person, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $108,776 per year, or $52.3 per hour.
Sr. Flight Control Law Engineer

Sr. Flight Control Law Engineer

Reliable Robotics

Mountain View, CA • On-site, Remote

$215K - $300K/yr

Full-time

Posted 17 days ago

Job description

We're building safety-enhancing technology for aviation that will save lives. Automated aviation systems will enable a future where air transportation is safer, more convenient and fundamentally transformative to the way goods - and eventually people - move around the planet. We are a team of mission-driven engineers with experience across aerospace, robotics and self-driving cars working to make this future a reality.
As a Sr. Flight Control Law Engineer at Reliable Robotics, you will be part of the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Team. You will design, implement, integrate, and test flight control laws for all phases of operation including autotaxi, auto-takeoff, autoland, and automatic rollout. You integrate real-world hardware and C/C++ flight software as part of ongoing flight test programs, and perform simulation analysis and data reduction in our Python and C/C++ modeling & simulation environment.
Responsibilities
  • Establish autoflight and flight control system requirements
  • Interface with Pilots and Operations team to develop flight test plans, respond to squawks, and communicate design updates
  • Design and analyze flight control laws from conceptual design through implementation and certification
  • Develop simulation models to evaluate flight control system performance and stability
  • Implement control laws and algorithms in flight software
  • Test flight software in simulation, Monte Carlo, hardware-in-loop, and flight

Basic Success Criteria
  • MS in aerospace engineering, robotics, or equivalent field
  • 8+ years of hands on, professional experience developing and testing flight controls algorithms
  • Experience with flight dynamics simulation and model identification
  • Professional experience with developing C/C++ flight software and Python data reduction & analysis
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Success Criteria
  • PhD in aerospace engineering, robotics, or similar advanced degree
  • Current pilot, instrument or commercial ratings
  • Experience with flight controls, autopilot, or flight management system certification

We are developing and building high-integrity, safety-critical systems for automated flight, and your role is critical to what we do at Reliable Robotics. With the support of the entire team, you will be making key contributions to the autoflight system that drive our core company mission forward.
Employees working from our headquarters in Mountain View, CA may expect very little travel. Employees working from Seattle, WA or remotely can expect 20% travel.
This position requires access to information that is subject to U.S. export controls. An offer of employment will be contingent upon the applicant's capacity to perform in compliance with U.S. export control laws.
All applicants are asked to provide documentation that legally establishes status as a U.S. person or non-U.S. person (and nationalities in the case of a non-U.S. person). Where the applicant is not a U.S. person, meaning not a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident, (iii) refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or not otherwise permitted to access the export-controlled technology without U.S. government authorization, the Company reserves the right not to apply for an export license for such applicants whose access to export-controlled technology or software source code requires authorization and may decline to proceed with the application process and any offer of employment on that basis.
At Reliable Robotics, our goal is to be a diverse and inclusive workforce. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, creed, ancestry, sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability or medical conditions, national origin, military or veteran status, genetic information, marital status, or any other basis covered by applicable law. All employment and promotion is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to work@reliable.co

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