Lead Embedded SW Engineer, Hardware Emulation

XWING; Santa Cruz (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 224,000; Full time

Job summary

Joby is seeking a Lead Embedded SW Engineer for Hardware Emulation in Santa Cruz, CA. The role focuses on leading the hardware-in-the-loop emulation of sensors, actuators, and peripherals for flight electronics within a cross-disciplinary team.

The candidate should have extensive C++ and OO design experience, be capable of working with I2C/CAN/SPI/UART protocols, and guide a small team toward robust emulation software powered by strong system understanding and good documentation.

Qualifications

• BS in electrical engineering, computer science, computer engineering, mechatronics or similar field with 7+ years of industry experience. Advanced degree with 5+ years considered
• 2+ years prior experience leading an embedded engineering development team
• Expert knowledge of C++ and object-oriented programming
• Experience with I2C, CAN, SPI, UART and other protocols
• Hands-on with test and measurement equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, voltmeters)
• Ability to read schematics, datasheets, and hardware design documents to write software
• Ability to understand complex system requirements to provide emulation software requirements
• Experience with Git or similar version control
• Basic familiarity with Python

Responsibilities

• Lead a small team to develop emulators for flight electronics and fault injection
• Collaborate with Systems Engineering, FPGA Development, Electrical Engineering, and other teams
• Develop modular, maintainable and well-documented software architectures in embedded environments

Skills

C++

Object-oriented design

Embedded systems

Git version control

Python (basics)

Schematic reading

System architecture

I2C/CAN/SPI/UART protocols

Test equipment (oscilloscopes, analyz

Education

BS in Electrical Engineering / Computer Science / Computer Engineering / Mechatronics

Job description

Lead Embedded SW Engineer, Hardware Emulation

Job Details

Job Locations: US-CA-Santa Cruz

ID: 2026-5135

Category: Software

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

The Hardware Emulation Team develops hardware-in-the-loop testing infrastructure for testing the flight electronics used on the Joby aircraft. The emulators themselves are embedded systems which emulate the behavior of sensors, actuators, and other peripheral devices on the aircraft. Emulator development is cross-disciplinary, often requiring a keen understanding of topics such as motor control, sensor modeling, networking, digital signals, physical system modeling, embedded systems and automation.

Responsibilities

We are seeking a passionate HW Emulation Lead to join our Automation Development Engineering Team in Santa Cruz, CA. The Emulation Lead will direct and contribute to the small team responsible for thoroughly understanding the electrical and software architecture of the aircraft and developing emulators that provide appropriate functional testing and fault injection capabilities. This will involve frequent collaboration with members from other teams including Systems Engineering, Flight Physics, Simulation, FPGA Development, Electrical Engineering, Automation, Flight Software, Software Verification, and Certification.

We seek innovative self-starters who enjoy learning and working collaboratively. Developing modular, maintainable and well-documented software architectures is paramount.

Required

• BS in electrical engineering, computer science, computer engineering, mechatronics or similar field and 7+ years of industry experience. An advanced degree and 5+ years of industry experience will also be considered
• 2+ years prior experience leading an embedded engineering development team
• Expert knowledge of C++
• Expert knowledge of object-oriented programming methodology and multi-layered system architectures
• Experience with communication protocols including I2C, CAN, SPI, UART, etc.
• Hands-on experience with test and measurement equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, voltmeters, etc.
• Ability to write software based on board schematics, datasheets, and hardware design documents
• Ability to comprehend complex system requirements to provide emulation software requirements
• Ability to understand written code in complex systems, perform code analysis, and distill information effectively
• Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git)
• Basic familiarity with Python

Desired

• Experience with safety-critical embedded systems is a plus
• Experience with unit testing, integration testing, and hardware-in-the-loop testing is a plus
• Experience with DO-178C or similar assured software development process is a plus

Additional Information

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $139,500 - $224,400/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