Airbus UpNext Spain - Control & Simulation Engineer (m/f)

Job Description: At Airbus UpNext, we fly future technologies at speeds well beyond what seems feasible today. We're looking for passionate individuals to join a new demonstrator project that is shaping the future of sustainable aviation by advancing the aircraft electrification roadmap. This project will focus on the challenges and opportunities of High Voltage Electrical Systems, which are essential for next-generation, low-emission aircraft part of Airbus ambition to electrify the skies. As part of a fast-paced, agile team, you will help create a unique, state-of-the-art test facility from the ground up. Your mission will be to explore novel HV technologies at their limits and beyond, generating invaluable data and learnings needed to build the robust and reliable aircraft of tomorrow by safely testing the unsafe. If you have a burning desire to make an impact and want to work in a startup-like environment backed by the strength of Airbus, this is your opportunity to help us decarbonize the aerospace industry.

The Control & Simulation Engineer position consists of a limited contract linked to the deliverable of the demonstrator (estimated completion date April - 2028), starting ASAP.

Mission: Reporting directly to the Technical Director, and working in close synergy with the Test Support System Lead Engineer and the rest of the team, you will be responsible for adapting baseline control software and Control&Monitoring laws across evolving perimeters and develop adaptation models for Hardware-in-the-Loop testing. Additionally you will host and integrate existing Airbus engineering real-time simulation platforms and architect safety interlocks and Emergency Shutdown Strategies and Systems to guarantee test facility and test means integrity.

Control Software & Perimeter Adaptation:

• Adapt baseline master control software developed by adjacent teams to fit different real and simulated R&T prototype System Under Test (SUT) configurations.
• Adjust, tune, adapt, and validate Control & Monitoring laws to ensure stable and safe operations.
• Develop adaptation models as required for the different real/simulated perimeters, primarily in the electrical domain involving HV Batteries, Power Converters, and Electrical Power Distribution Systems.

Control V&V From Virtual to HIL Testing:

• Drive the control Verification and Validation chain seamlessly from pure virtual simulation environments to real-time Hardware-in-the-Loop test setups.
• Develop, compile, and integrate specialized adaptation models, real-time wrappers, and interface layers required to execute robust HIL testing.

Airbus Simulation Platform Integration:

• Host and integrate existing Airbus engineering real-time simulation platforms; capture live output data vectors in real time and process them to dynamically steer industrial test mean equipment and stimulate High Voltage Systems Under Test.

Multi-Layer Safety Strategies & Operational Procedures:

• Design automated safety protocols, hardware interlocks, and Emergency Shutdown Strategies featuring cascading protection layers to progressively guarantee system, bench, facility, environmental integrity and human safety.
• Support risk analysis to establish required human and operational safety documentation, contributing to the definition of operational procedures and safety compliance protocols for the facility.

The responsibilities and the technical scope of the job might evolve according to the agile working environment of the project, so being flexible is important.

Your boarding pass

What you bring:

Experience:

• Proven experience of minimum 5 to 10 years of hands‑on experience in control systems engineering, control software adaptation, real‑time simulation and HIL integration within aerospace, automotive or industrial electrical power testing environments.

Education:

• Master’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree in Automation / Control, Electrical, Systems, Telecommunications Engineering or equivalent.

Control & Monitoring Proficiency:

• Strong expertise in MATLAB / Simulink / NI LabVIEW / NI VERISTAND, Control & Monitoring law tuning, state‑space modelling, real‑time code generation and model adaptation across varying physical/virtual perimeters.

Safety & Shutdown Architectures:

• Practical experience in designing multi‑layered Emergency Shutdown Strategies matching safety requirements derived from HARA / HAZOPS analysis while guaranteeing the best test facility / system under test integrity.

Electrical System Awareness:

• Good understanding of High Voltage electrical systems (batteries, converters, EPDS) and industrial fieldbuses and control signals.

Languages:

• English - fluency mandatory.
• Spanish is considered a plus.

Mindset and Willingness to have fun!

• Pragmatic, flexible, hands‑on, highly analytical and methodical team player with a desire to solve complex challenges in an agile, changing and fast‑paced environment.
• Willingness to have fun!

What you get:

• Pivotal Role in a Strategic Mission: play a key part in a project at the forefront of aircraft electrification contributing to Airbus’s decarbonization roadmap.
• Build Something that last: Your work will create a high‑value asset and learning contribution for Airbus’s future.
• Develop Critical Competences: Acquire and develop a sound background in aerospace systems and technologies essential for the future of aerospace, providing a unique career development opportunity within Airbus.
• Work on the Edge of Technology: Explore disruptive technologies at their limits, deepening your knowledge of complex phenomena shaping the future of the aerospace industry.
• Agile and Empowering Environment: Thrive in a work culture that empowers you to act and think like a start‑up while being supported by the strong expertise of Airbus.
• A Great Team and Culture: Be part of a high‑achieving, experienced and fun team in a shared open‑space office with highly skilled colleagues. We are guided by the “Care for Each Other” value.
• Flexibility & Fun: Enjoy flexible hours, hybrid remote options, freshly ground coffee, beverages, and regular UpNext bonding events.

About us

Founded in 2017, Airbus UpNext is actively shaping the future of aerospace by using demonstrators to evaluate, mature and validate new products and services. Our purpose is to pioneer game‑changing technologies with Airbus. In this role, you will embody the core Airbus UpNext values: Care for Each Other: Ensuring a supportive and inclusive environment. Be Simple: Finding the most efficient path to success. Be Audacious: Challenging the status quo to make the unthinkable real. Be Open: Collaborative solution‑finding across diverse teams. Speed of Execution: Moving at the speed of a startup.

Feel the fire in your belly when you read this? If so….

This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.

Company: Airbus UpNext S.L.

Employment Type: Fixed term

Experience Level: Professional

Job Family: Vehicle Mission & Control

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