HA
System Identification Engineer
Contract type
Ongoing
Work mode
On-site · Lausanne, Switzerland
Experience
3 years
Job description
System Identification Engineer at Harmattan AI, based in Lausanne, responsible for turning flight test data into verified dynamic models used for guidance and control design, tuning and training.
At a glance
- Work mode
- On-site · Lausanne, Switzerland
What you'll do
- Plan and run identification tests, from excitation design to flight tests, including coordinating with the team
- Identify rigid-body, aerodynamic, propulsion and actuator dynamics using frequency and time-domain methods, including closed-loop identification on vehicles flown under a controller
- Characterize motors, ESCs, propellers and control surfaces, including bandwidth, delays, saturation, and thermal and battery effects
- Build and maintain an automated, reproducible pipeline from flight logs to identified model, covering ingestion, data-quality checks, estimation, validation and reporting
- Validate models against held-out flight data, quantify uncertainty, and make sure each model is fit for purpose: controller design, simulation, or training learned G&C
- Extend the capability from multirotors to control-surface multirotors, fixed wings, tail-sitters and missiles
- Deliver models into simulation, SITL and HITL, and work closely with control, guidance and embedded engineers to close the loop between models and flight results
- Depending on seniority, support the team by mentoring junior engineers and interns
What we're looking for
- A strong academic record with a degree in aerospace, control, mechanical engineering or a related STEM field; a practical track record matters more than the specific degree
- Proven experience identifying dynamic models of flying platforms from real data, in both the frequency and time domain, including the pitfalls of closed-loop data
- Solid grasp of rigid-body dynamics, aerodynamic forces and moments, non-dimensionalization, stability modes and propulsion models, plus enough control background to know what the model will be used for
- Hands-on experience planning and running flight tests and working from raw, imperfect logs
- Strong Python and scientific computing skills, with the discipline to build tools others can rerun
Nice to have
- Rigorous about data quality, uncertainty and validation; skeptical of models until they are proven
- Autonomous and hands-on, comfortable moving between bench, field and code
- Communicates clearly, able to present models and test results to engineers and senior stakeholders
- Thrives under pressure in a fast-paced environment with a no-task-is-too-small mentality
- Fixed-wing aerodynamic modeling; VTOL or tail-sitter dynamics; remote pilot certification; experience with real flight logs; structural or vibration modes; data-driven or learned dynamics models
- 100% dedication to Harmattan AI's mission of providing a defensive edge to allied nations through ethical, high-impact technology
Apply
About Harmattan AI
A next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems
Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, the company is expanding its teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces.
Mission
Providing a defensive edge to allied nations through ethical, high-impact technology
Key facts
- Defense
- Closed a $200M Series B
- Valued at $1.4 billion
- Builds autonomous and scalable defense systems for allied forces
What they value
- Building technologies with real-world impact
- Pursuing excellence in everything we do
- Setting ambitious goals
- Taking on the hardest technical challenges