Senior Software Validation Engineer – Robotics & Autonomy

Zipline; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline is seeking a Senior Software Systems Validation Engineer to lead end-to-end evaluation from simulation through full-system flight testing.

You will bridge Systems Engineering and Software Development, owning validation strategy and evidence that reveals capability gains, gaps, regressions, and safety risks. Design edge-case scenarios and build automated monitors to guide release decisions.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of software development, software systems engineering, or software validation experience in robotic systems
• Experience performing validation across simulation and real hardware
• Degree in Computer Science, Software/Systems/Aerospace Engineering or related field

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end evaluation from simulation through full-system flight testing
• Define system-level validation strategy for software performance, reliability, and safety
• Design, implement, and execute nominal, adversarial, stress, and edge-case scenarios from simulation through flight testing
• Build metrics, visualizations, real-time performance and safety monitors, and automated tools
• Set validation exit criteria informing release, deployment, and operating-domain expansion decisions
• Debug failures across simulation, hardware, firmware, embedded software, and application software; document findings and escalate safety or performance risks
• Partner with test infrastructure and data platform teams to increase automated validation coverage and velocity

Skills

Python

SQL

MISRA C

Rust

C++

Embedded Linux

Perception

Motion planning

Navigation

Control

Estimation

Robotics

Data pipelines

Software validation

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in CS/Software/Systems/Aerospace

Job description

Zipline is seeking a Senior Software Systems Validation Engineer to lead end-to-end evaluation from simulation through full-system flight testing.

You will bridge Systems Engineering and Software Development, owning validation strategy and evidence that reveals capability gains, gaps, regressions, and safety risks. Design edge-case scenarios and build automated monitors to guide release decisions.