Principal Guidance and Control Engineer

About the Role

This role is dedicated to the creation and implementation of flight control software for smart weapons, enhancing both new and existing product lines developed by the organization, based onsite in Abu Dhabi.

Key Responsibilities

• Craft, refine, and support Guidance and Control algorithms to fulfill product specification performance goals, including Autopilot and Mission control systems.
• Develop and maintain Launch-Acceptable Region (LAR) and Mission Planning System (MPS) algorithms that calculate viable release zones ensuring weapon performance and mission-critical data such as trajectory, flight time, impact angle, and speed.
• Oversee and develop Six-Degree-of-Freedom (6-DOF) simulations and contribute to Hardware-In-The-Loop (HILS) simulation development.
• Manage aerodynamic modeling by implementing, validating against flight-test data, and maintaining aerodynamic tables as provided by subcontractors.
• Engage in laboratory and field flight testing—conduct test data analysis, write detailed reports, and evaluate product parameter compliance.
• Analyze software requirements for the guidance and control system as outlined in product specifications.
• Design software architecture and components that support Guidance and Control algorithms, adhering to real-time operational, fault tolerance, and safety standards.
• Translate design into high-quality code following coding standards and best practices related to relevant software development guidelines.
• Execute comprehensive verification and validation procedures, including test planning, execution, and documentation ensuring compliance with standards such as DO-178B/C or MIL-STD-498.
• Manage software configuration through version control, baseline maintenance, and traceability between requirements, design, and implementation.
• Produce and maintain essential documentation including Algorithm Design, Interface Control Documentation, Software Detailed Design Document, Algorithm Test Specifications, Test Reports, and Version Description Document.
• Ensure development adheres strictly to industry standards and guidelines relevant to airborne software and defense systems.
• Conduct safety and risk assessments, using techniques such as FMEA and Fault Tree Analysis, aligned with DO-178B/C or MIL-STD-882E standards.

Additional Duties

• Support production lines by participating in fault investigations, Material Review Board (MRB), and Product Configuration Management Board (PCMB) activities to resolve software, hardware, system, performance, and flight control issues.
• Perform related tasks as necessitated by job progress or company operations.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Software, Electronic or Mechanical Engineering, or Computer Science; Master’s degree is preferred.
• Experienced in aerospace modeling and simulation practices.
• Proficient in software development with expertise in C, C++, Matlab, and Simulink.
• Hands-on experience with lab and field testing procedures.
• Minimum 10 to 15 years working in the defense industry with a focus on smart weapons.
• 10 to 15 years of operating with guidance systems, Kalman filtering, and flight control technologies.
• Skilled in problem-solving techniques essential to aerospace and defense applications.