Flight Dynamics & Control Engineer

Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability

Hypersonica , we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology.

We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard.

We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast.

As our Flight Dynamics & Control Engineer, you’re not stepping into a predefined role.

You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company.

Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously.

We hire for talent, not rigid boxes.

This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual.

If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you.

The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence.

What you'll do

• Model and analyse the full flight dynamics of hypersonic vehicles across boost, glide, and terminal phases, from first principles through flight validation.
• Develop high-fidelity 6-Do F simulations capturing aerodynamic, propulsion, structural, and control coupling effects across extreme Mach and thermal regimes.
• Characterise vehicle stability, controllability, and dynamic response under highly non-linear, time-varying conditions.
• Define and validate aerodynamic databases and dynamic models that underpin guidance and autopilot design.
• Work closely with GNC, structures, propulsion, and test teams to ensure models reflect physical reality and inform real design decisions.
• Identify critical sensitivities, instabilities, and edge cases early, shaping vehicle architecture and control strategies accordingly.
• Support ground and flight testing by analysing telemetry, reconstructing trajectories, and closing modelling assumptions rapidly.
• Own the dynamic behaviour of the vehicle as a system, ensuring performance, robustness, and physical credibility under adversarial conditions.

Who you are

• A flight dynamics, control, or aerospace engineer with 2+ years’ experience modelling high-speed or highly dynamic vehicles in aerospace, space, or defence.
• Deeply grounded in rigid-body dynamics, aerodynamics, and non-linear system behaviour, with strong intuition for how vehicles actually move.
• Experienced building and using 6-Do F simulations as engineering tools, not academic exercises.
• Comfortable reasoning across multiple regimes (subsonic to hypersonic, powered and unpowered flight), including transitions and edge cases.
• Strong in first-principles modelling, able to question aerodynamic data, assumptions, and simplifications rather than accepting them blindly.
• Able to connect physics to control, understanding how dynamic behaviour constrains or enables guidance and autopilot performance.
• Pragmatic about fidelity — knowing when to increase model complexity and when to simplify to move fast.
• Motivated by seeing models meet reality in test and flight, and iterating rapidly when they don’t.
• Energised by owning vehicle behaviour in a small, high-tempo team where dynamic performance is mission-critical.

What we offer

• A mission driven environment with the opportunity to work on one of Europe’s most consequential defence challenges, with direct impact on sovereign capability and security.
• Daily collaboration with top experts across engineering, operations, and defence, with real opportunity to learn from the best, contribute, and grow.
• High ownership and autonomy; no time tracking, no micromanagement, just clear objectives and accountability for outcomes.
• A fast paced environment where good ideas are implemented quickly, and feedback from test and flight drives real decisions.
• A culture that values clarity, integrity, and excellence, and supports people who take initiative and push boundaries responsibly.
• Competitive compensation and real share options aligned to responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy.

Hypersonica is an equal-opportunity employer and assesses candidates solely on merit, capability, and potential.

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