Hardware Systems Engineer

DoorDash USA; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 212,000 - 312,000; Full time

Job summary

DoorDash is seeking a Hardware Systems Engineer to own system-level architecture across electrical, mechanical, firmware, sensor, and compute subsystems for autonomous delivery platforms.

You will drive requirements traceability, interface control documents (ICDs), trade studies, and V&V plans to ensure cohesive operation across EE, ME, firmware, and perception teams, delivering safe, reliable robotics systems.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience building, testing, and validating mechatronics hardware.
• Expertise in embedded systems, vehicle mechanics, electronics, and perception.
• Cross-boundary debugging across hardware, firmware, software.
• Evaluate trade-offs and translate goals into precise specifications.
• Lead multi-disciplinary projects across EE, ME, firmware, and perception teams.

Responsibilities

• Own system-level architecture across subsystems for autonomous platforms.
• Decompose platform requirements into verifiable specs for power, motion, compute, sensors.
• Drive requirements traceability, ICDs, trade studies, and V&V plans.
• Lead cross-functional debugging across hardware, firmware, and software.
• Translate business and regulatory requirements into engineering specs with stakeholders.

Skills

Embedded systems architecture

Vehicle mechanics

Electronics

Autonomous perception systems

Cross-functional debugging

Requirements traceability

Trade-off analysis

Education

B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in EE, ME, CS, Systems Engineering, Robotics, or related field

Job description

We're looking for a Hardware Systems Engineer to own system-level architecture across electrical, mechanical, firmware, sensor, and compute subsystems – decomposing platform requirements into verifiable specs for power distribution, motion control, embedded compute, sensor suites and communication buses (CAN, Ethernet, etc.). You'll drive requirements traceability, interface control documents (ICDs), trade studies, and verification and validation (V&V) plans that ensure subsystems built by separate EE, ME, firmware, and perception teams function as one safe, reliable delivery robot.

You’re excited about this opportunity because you will…

• Own system-level architecture across electrical, mechanical, firmware, sensor, and compute subsystems for autonomous delivery platforms.
• Decompose platform requirements into verifiable specs for power distribution, motion control, embedded compute, and sensor suites.
• Drive requirements traceability, ICDs, trade studies, and V&V plans across EE, ME, firmware, and perception workstreams.
• Lead cross-functional root-cause debugging across hardware, firmware, and software boundaries, conducting design and safety reviews.
• Translate business and regulatory requirements into engineering specs in collaboration with Product, Safety, Legal, and Operations.

We’re excited about you because…

• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in EE, ME, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Robotics, or a related field
• 8+ years of experience building, testing, and validating mechatronics or sensor-equipped hardware in robotics, automotive, or aerospace.
• Strong expertise in embedded systems architecture, vehicle mechanicals, electronics, and autonomous perception systems.
• Demonstrated ability to perform cross-boundary debugging across hardware, firmware, and software layers.
• Ability to evaluate complex trade-offs, identify failure modes, and translate ambiguous business and regulatory goals into precise, verifiable engineering specifications
• Track record of leading complex, multi-disciplinary projects across EE, ME, firmware, and perception teams.

Compensation

The successful candidate’s starting pay will fall within the pay range listed below and is determined based on job- related factors including, but not limited to, skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. Base salary is localized according to an employee’s work location. Ranges are market-dependent and may be modified in the future.

In addition to base salary, the compensation for this role includes opportunities for equity grants. Talk to your recruiter for more information.

DoorDash cares about you and your overall well-being. That’s why we offer a comprehensive benefits package to all regular employees, which includes a 401(k) plan with employer matching, 16 weeks of paid parental leave, wellness benefits, commuter benefits match, paid time off and paid sick leave in compliance with applicable laws (e.g. Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act). DoorDash also offers medical, dental, and vision benefits, 11 paid holidays, disability and basic life insurance, family-forming assistance, and a mental health program, among others.

To learn more about our benefits, visit our careers page here .

See below for paid time off details:

• For salaried roles: flexible paid time off/vacation, plus 80 hours of paid sick time per year.
• For hourly roles: vacation accrued at about 1 hour for every 25.97 hours worked (e.g. about 6.7 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 3.4 hours/month if working 20 hours/week), and paid sick time accrued at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (e.g. about 5.8 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 2.9 hours/month if working 20 hours/week).

The national base pay range for this position within the United States, including Illinois and Colorado.

$212,200 - $312,000 USD

About DoorDash

At DoorDash, our mission to empower local economies shapes how our team members move quickly, learn, and reiterate in order to make impactful decisions that display empathy for our range of users—from Dashers to merchant partners to consumers. We are a technology and logistics company that started by enabling door-to-door delivery, and we are looking for team members who can help us go from a company that is known as the place you order food to a company that people turn to for any and all goods.

DoorDash is growing rapidly and changing constantly, which gives our team members the opportunity to share their unique perspectives, solve new challenges, and own their careers. We’re committed to supporting employees’ happiness, healthiness, and overall well-being by providing comprehensive benefits and perks including premium healthcare, wellness expense reimbursement, paid parental leave and more.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

We’re committed to growing and empowering a more inclusive community within our company, industry, and cities. That’s why we hire and cultivate diverse teams of people from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that true innovation happens when everyone has room at the table and the tools, resources, and opportunity to excel.

Statement of Non-Discrimination: In keeping with our beliefs and goals, no employee or applicant will face discrimination or harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, or veteran status. Above and beyond discrimination and harassment based on "protected categories," we also strive to prevent other subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (i.e., stereotyping) from ever gaining a foothold in our office. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at DoorDash. We value a diverse workforce – people who identify as women, non-binary or gender non‑conforming, LGBTQIA+, American Indian or Native Alaskan, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, differently‑abled, caretakers and parents, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Thank you to the Level Playing Field Institute for this statement of non‑discrimination.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and any other state or local hiring regulations, we will consider for employment any qualified applicant, including those with arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with the applicable regulation.

If you need any accommodations, please inform your recruiting contact upon initial connection.