Robotics Software Engineer - Labs, DoorDash Air

About the Team

DoorDash Labs is an independent team within DoorDash exploring robotics and automation to transform last-mile logistics in the long term. The Drone Delivery team is focused on bringing fast, efficient, and delightful last-mile delivery through the air to life, combining advanced robotics, aviation, and operational innovation to integrate this technology into our 3-sided marketplace.

About the Role

We're expanding the drone team and looking for engineers passionate about leveraging UAV technology to reimagine logistics. This role focuses on developing and deploying state-of-the-art systems in real-world environments, transforming bold visions into practical solutions. This position reports to Engineering Management within DoorDash Labs.

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.

Qualifications

• A degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a 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.
• Must be comfortable regularly exercising discretion and independent judgment in performing job duties, including evaluating options, making informed decisions, and determining appropriate courses of action within the scope of assigned responsibilities.