Software Engineer, Backend - DoorDash Air

Doordashusa; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 131,000 - 285,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

401(k) matching

Paid parental leave

Medical, dental & vision benefits

Paid time off

Disability and life insurance

Mental health program

Job summary

DoorDash Labs is hiring an experienced software engineer to design and implement backend services for autonomous drone delivery. You will work on intelligent path planning, real-time fleet management, and rigorous testing in a high-scale environment.

You will develop robust, scalable systems, run simulations, and improve performance, reliability, and security of drone backend services while ensuring compliance with aviation regulations.

Qualifications

• BS, MS or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
• 6+ years of experience as a software engineer with backend/robotics focus.
• Strong background in path planning algorithms.
• Experience with robotics simulations and testing frameworks.
• Experience with Kotlin or C++.
• Ability to improve efficiency, scalability, and stability of distributed systems in real-time contexts.
• Experience with REST APIs, unit testing, and SOA design.
• Knowledge of TCP/IP, UDP, MQTT networking.
• Experience with SQL or NoSQL databases.
• Familiarity with aviation regulations (FAA Part 107) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement backend services for autonomous drone delivery with intelligent path planning and real-time fleet management.
• Develop scalable, fault-tolerant systems for a drone delivery fleet.
• Build simulations and testing frameworks to validate path planning algorithms.
• Improve performance, reliability, scalability, and security of drone backend systems.
• Introduce tools and best practices to accelerate drone development and ensure regulatory compliance.

Skills

Kotlin

C++

Path planning

REST APIs

Unit testing

Distributed systems

Networking protocols

SQL/NoSQL

Simulations

Real-time systems

FAA Part 107 knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Robotics/Aerospace

Master's or PhD preferred

Tools

ROS

Docker

Kubernetes

gRPC

Kafka

Postgres

Redis

Job description

About the Team

DoorDash Labs is an independent team within DoorDash. We explore robotics and automation to transform last-mile logistics in the long term. If you have a passion for applying cutting-edge technology to solve complex problems and enhance delivery experiences for millions of users, we want to talk to you!

The Air team is focused on bringing the dream of fast, efficient, and delightful last mile delivery through the air to life. As one of the leaders in this space, we believe strongly in the promise of combining advanced robotics, aviation, and operational innovation to bring this high flying technology into our 3-sided marketplace. We are a team of doers, heavily focused on bringing our products and visions to market.

About the Role

Are you an engineer passionate about using UAV technology to reimagine logistics? Do you thrive in developing and deploying state-of-the-art systems in real-world environments? Do you love getting your hands dirty and turning large visions into practical realities? If so, we want to talk to you!

You’re excited about this opportunity because you will…

• Design and implement backend services for autonomous drone delivery that integrates with core DoorDash data, focusing on intelligent path planning, real-time fleet management, and dynamic airspace awareness.
• Develop and maintain robust, scalable, and fault-tolerant systems to manage a fleet of delivery drones, ensuring safe and efficient operations.
• Implement simulations and testing frameworks to validate the performance and reliability of path planning algorithms.
• Improve performance, reliability, scalability, and security for our drone backend systems, with a particular emphasis on ensuring safe and compliant drone operations.
• Introduce tools and best practices to accelerate our drone development process and ensure adherence to aviation regulations.

We’re excited about you because you have…

• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 6+ years of industry experience as a software engineer, with a focus on backend systems, robotics, or autonomous systems.
• Strong experience in developing and implementing algorithms for path planning.
• Experience with simulations and testing frameworks for robotics or autonomous systems.
• Experience with either Kotlin, or C++.
• Ability to improve efficiency, scalability, and stability of distributed systems, especially in a real-time operational context.
• Experience with service-oriented architecture, writing REST APIs, unit testing, and architectural design.
• Understanding of networking and communication protocols relevant to robotics and IoT (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP, MQTT).
• Experience with SQL or NoSQL databases.
• Familiarity with aviation regulations and safety standards (e.g., FAA Part 107) is a strong plus.

Nice to Have

Experience with these technologies is not required but helpful.

• Familiarity with Kotlin
• gRPC, Kafka, Redis, Postgres, or Cassandra
• AWS, Kubernetes, Docker
• Experience with ROS (Robot Operating System) or other robotics middleware
• Familiarity with geospatial data and mapping technologies (GIS)

We use Covey as part of our hiring and / or promotional process for jobs in NYC and certain features may qualify it as an AEDT. As part of the evaluation process we provide Covey with job requirements and candidate submitted applications. We began using Covey Scout for Inbound on August 21, 2023.

Please see the independent bias audit report covering our use of Covey here.

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 ranges for this position within the United States, including Illinois and Colorado.

• $130,600 – $192,000 USD
• $159,800 – $235,000 USD
• $193,800 – $285,000 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.

Notice to Applicants for Jobs Located in NYC or Remote Jobs Associated With Office in NYC Only

We used Covey as part of our hiring and/or promotion process for jobs in NYC and certain features may qualify it as an AEDT in NYC. As part of the hiring and/or promotion process, we provided Covey with job requirements and candidate submitted applications. We began using Covey Scout for Inbound from August 21, 2023, through December 21, 2023. We resumed using Covey Scout for Inbound again on June 29, 2024, and ceased using Covey Scout for Inbound on April 30, 2026.

The Covey tool has been reviewed by an independent auditor. Results of the audit may be viewed here: https://getcovey.com/nyc-local-law-144.