Development Assurance Software DER

XWING; Santa Cruz (CA); On-site; USD 159,000 - 211,000; Full time

Job summary

Joby Aviation's Development Assurance group is seeking a senior engineer to lead DO-178C software compliance activities and support airborne hardware DO-254 efforts for current and upcoming aircraft programs.

You will provide guidance to software and systems teams, develop plans and checklists, and coordinate regulator interactions while maintaining rigorous documentation and high standards of safety and airworthiness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or STEM
• 10+ years of related technical and certification experience
• Hands-on DO-178C experience
• Hands-on DO-331 for MB development
• Strong writing and communication skills

Responsibilities

• Advise software and systems teams on DO-178C compliance issues
• Develop and maintain software compliance plans and checklists
• Coordinate with IPTs to resolve compliance issues affecting software
• Prepare artifacts for DO-178C and DO-254 submissions to regulators
• Lead audits and regulator coordination as needed

Skills

DO-178C knowledge

Model-based development DO-331

OO software development

Writing & communication

Independent problem solving

Safety-focused

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or STEM

MS degree preferred

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Polarion

Collaborator

SharePoint

Job description

Development Assurance Software DER

Job Locations

US-CA-Santa Cruz

Job ID

2026-5296

Category

Certification

Type

Regular Full-Time

Company Overview

Imagine a piloted air taxi that takes off vertically, then quietly carries you and your fellow passengers over the congested city streets below, enabling you to spend more time with the people and places that matter most. At Joby, we've been working to make that dream a reality since 2009 and we're now in the final stages of certifying our aircraft with the FAA. With plans to launch our aircraft in the US and Dubai, we're now scaling manufacturing and preparing for the launch of our commercial service.

Overview

Modern aircraft development requires demonstrated compliance with a variety of FAA rules, guidance documents, and industry standards. The Development Assurance Group is critical to ensuring Joby’s compliance to ARP4754A for systems development, DO-178C for software development, and DO-254 for electronics development. In addition, this group is heavily involved with Joby’s cybersecurity efforts and is paving a path toward future certification of autonomous vehicles. The skilled engineers within this group have established detailed company plans, standards, policies, and procedures for meeting the various development assurance guidelines and now serve in both a mentoring and oversight capacity for Joby in addition to coordinating with the FAA.

Joby is looking for a senior engineer with a strong demonstrated history in supporting software compliance to DO-178C and/or compliance for airborne electronic hardware to join the Development Assurance group. The expectation is that this individual will be put forward for a company DER ticket for work on the Joby S4 and subsequent aircraft programs. Individuals who already hold one of the following credentials are strongly encouraged to apply: company or consulting DER credential, ODA Unit Members, and TSO-specialists.

Note that this position may include access to technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Designated Engineering Representative (DER)roles must be based within the US. Qualified international candidates are encouraged to apply but must be willing and able to relocate to the United States upon obtaining the necessary work authorization and visa.

Responsibilities

Our goal is to find individuals who are open to new challenges and are willing to roll up their sleeves and do what is necessary to help the team certify our aircraft with constant attention to safety and airworthiness compliance. The successful candidate may find themselves briefing the FAA one day, auditing a peer review process the next, and helping author compliance documentation the day after.

• Provides technical advice and counsel to software and systems development teams on compliance issues associated with DO-178C and associated technical supplements
• Ensures that all required plans and standards are followed through ongoing surveillance and, if deemed appropriate, direct involvement in team peer review activities
• Works with the broader Development Assurance team to develop and maintain process documentation associated with software compliance oversight activities including the project’s Plan for Software Aspects of Certification (PSAC), review checklists, audit and test witnessing plans, and others as requested by the DA Lead
• Works closely with the Systems Engineering Leads for the programs Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) to resolve requirements and compliance issues that affect software compliance
• Participates in planning, requirements, design, code, and test reviews to both identify technical and process issues in accordance with the project’s development assurance plans
• Maintains accurate compliance records (e.g., checklists, audit records) for assigned projects
• Represents the software engineering team in front of the FAA as needed
• Continuously works to identify process improvements for both reducing defect density in Joby’s products and to improve overall SW activity efficiency
• Liaison with development and verification engineers as required ensuring requirements are clearly communicated and resulting product meets all requirements.
• Ensures all artifacts supporting DO-178C compliance align with approved plans and are completely prepared for submittal to the appropriate regulators
• Ensures all artifacts supporting DO-254 compliance align with approved plans and are completely prepared for submittal to the appropriate regulators
• Provides support for regulatory audits during development projects by way of leading audits, test witnessing and coordinating with regulatory personnel
• Provides support for regulatory audits during development projects by way of leading audits, test witnessing and coordinating with regulatory personnel
• Provides guidance to development team(s) for certification questions and/or issues

Required

• A Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or similar STEM field and 10+ years of related technical and certification experience
• Practitioner-level knowledge of DO-178C with at least some hands‑on experience applying DO-331 for model‑based development
• Hands‑on experience with object‑oriented software development
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills including writing skills
• Ability to work without supervision. Independent problem solver
• Enjoy working in a collaborative, collegial environment
• Strong bias toward safety and ethical engineering
• Capable of coming up to speed on topics quickly; excited to learn new things
• Strong work ethic and goal‑focused
• BS in engineering or technical area (e.g., computer science, electronics technician); MS preferred

Desired

• Existing DER credentials or recent experience serving as a Unit Member as part of an Organization Delegation Authorization (ODA)
• Experience with the application of DO-254 for both custom micro‑coded devices (e.g., FPGA) and Circuit Card Assembly (CCA)
• Familiarity with FAA Designated Engineering Representative (DER) Handbook Requirements (Order 8110.37) and ability to meet (within six months) the requirements for Software DER
• Familiarity with DO-160 environmental qualification
• 5+ years’ experience in the areas of flight or engine control approval
• Familiarity with aerospace quality frameworks (e.g., AS9100, AS9006, AS9115)
• Experience with Jira, Confluence, Polarion, Collaborator and SharePoint

Additional Information

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $158,600 to 211,200/Yr.The compensation package will be determined by job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short‑term and long‑term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.

Joby is an Equal Opportunity Employer