Drone Robotics Software Engineer for Autonomous Flight & ROS

DoorDash; California (MO); On-site; USD 160,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan with employer matching

Paid parental leave (16 weeks)

Wellness benefits

Commuter benefits match

Paid time off and paid sick leave

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

11 paid holidays

Disability and basic life insurance

Mental health program

Job summary

DoorDash Labs is expanding its drone delivery team, seeking engineers to develop and deploy state-of-the-art UAV software for autonomous flight, sensor integration, and real-time operations.

Role focuses on bridging software, hardware, and robotics, using ROS/ROS 2 and advanced perception algorithms, with ongoing testing across simulations and real-world flight tests. Reporting to Engineering Management within DoorDash Labs.

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related field.
• 5+ years of industry experience in software development for robotics or autonomous systems.
• Proficiency in C/C++ and Python.
• Experience with ROS/ROS 2.
• Familiarity with sensor integration and data processing techniques.
• Experience with debugging tools and techniques for robotic systems.
• Experience with robotics, drones, and autonomous systems.
• Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment daily.

Responsibilities

• Design and deploy software for advanced drone hardware, promoting autonomous flight capabilities and delivery operations.
• Work at the intersection of software, hardware, and robotics, building applications that run on a real-time capable robotics platform and interface with multiple drone sensors and actuators.
• Develop and integrate algorithms for onboard perception, sensor fusion, state estimation, and control using data from different drone sensors (e.g., IMU, GPS, camera, and lidar).
• Use ROS/ROS 2 to build modular robotic applications for autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, and payload management.
• Implement communication protocols to promote seamless data exchange between the drone, ground control stations, and cloud backend systems.
• Conduct rigorous testing and debugging of on-drone software using simulations, hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) setups, and real-world flight testing.
• Collaborate with backend and infrastructure teams to provide a cohesive and integrated drone delivery ecosystem.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in drone technology and robotics.

Skills

C/C++

Python

ROS/ROS 2

Sensor fusion

State estimation

Autonomous systems

Debugging robotics

Drones/ UAVs

Computer vision basics

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related field

Tools

ROS/ROS 2

Real-time robotics platform

Job description

DoorDash Labs is expanding its drone delivery team, seeking engineers to develop and deploy state-of-the-art UAV software for autonomous flight, sensor integration, and real-time operations.

Role focuses on bridging software, hardware, and robotics, using ROS/ROS 2 and advanced perception algorithms, with ongoing testing across simulations and real-world flight tests. Reporting to Engineering Management within DoorDash Labs.