VMS (Vehicle Management System) Engineer
Location: [Ottawa Office / Montreal or Toronto — considered], On-Site
Reports to: Director of Aircraft Systems
Type: Full-Time
The Role
You own the architecture that sits between what the mission autonomy software decides to do and what the vehicle actually does about it. The VMS is the central nervous system translating high-level autonomy commands into safe, executable vehicle control — if that translation is wrong, nothing downstream matters. You design and validate that architecture end to end: the ICDs that let autonomy and the flight management system talk to each other safely, the FDIR logic that keeps the vehicle flying when a sensor or actuator doesn't, and the hardware integration — FCCs, INS/GPS, actuators, power distribution — that all of it runs on.
You're not writing this in isolation from the hardware. You manage the suppliers building the flight-critical GNC and avionics hardware, run it through HIL and bench testing before it ever sees a vehicle, and you're in the loop lab or on the flight line when it's time to reduce telemetry data to find out if the vehicle behaves the way the ICD said it would.
What You'll Do
Design, integrate, and validate the central VMS and flight computer architecture — the control bridge between mission-level autonomy and base-level vehicle control.
Define and implement ICDs that let the flight management system/autopilot safely accept, translate, and execute dynamic commands from mission autonomy software.
Run the full integration lifecycle for flight-critical avionics and GNC hardware — FCCs, INS/GPS, actuators, and power distribution units.
Drive supplier technical management for flight-critical GNC and avionics hardware, from spec definition and vendor selection through qualification testing and acceptance.
Architect fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) logic and fail-safe behavior across central flight processing hardware and distributed actuators.
Lead HIL integration, subsystem bench testing, and ground/flight test troubleshooting of central VMS components.
What You Bring
Experience architecting or integrating a Vehicle Management System or central flight computer that bridges autonomy and vehicle-level control.
Hands-on ICD development — defining interfaces precise enough for a flight management system.
Experience integrating flight-critical avionics/GNC hardware (FCCs, INS/GPS, actuators, power distribution) through to qualification.
Working knowledge of FDIR and fail-safe design for flight-critical systems — you can reason about what happens when a sensor or actuator fails, not just when everything works.
Comfortable with HIL/bench test campaigns and troubleshooting on the ground or in flight test.
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
5+ years of direct experience in flight control computer integration, VMS design, or mission computer integration on unmanned or autonomous aircraft platforms.
Nice to Have
Experience with supplier/vendor technical management for flight-critical hardware — specs, acceptance criteria, integration reviews.
Background in autonomy software or mission systems, enough to speak both sides of the ICD.
DO-178C / DO-254 or equivalent flight-critical software/hardware assurance experience.
Actuator or power control system design experience.
No defence background required.
We've hired people who didn't tick every box. If this is the work you want to do, please apply anyway.
Why Join Us
Building something meaningful starts with the right people.
At Dominion Dynamics, you’ll:
Shape Canada’s future by building real defence capability for the CAF and our allies.
Make decisions that ship in a high-trust environment with short feedback loops and rapid iteration.
Move fast, field faster, and work directly with the operator — our systems are in the field with the CAF now.
Have an impact from day one with equity, responsibility, and direct access to leadership.
If you’re curious, hands-on, and driven by the opportunity to make a difference, this is where you belong!
Compensation & Benefits
Competitive base salary and company equity*
Comprehensive health benefits
Additional equity granted based on impact*
We use AI tools to support parts of the hiring process, including screening and reviewing responses. Final hiring decisions are always made by people and follow all applicable privacy and employment laws in Canada.
*Equity awarded to full time employees only.