Software Engineer, Planning & Controls - Autonomy & Robotics, DoorDash Air
DoorDash USA · San Francisco, CA
Posted about 3 months ago
or apply directly on DoorDash USA's site. We never take the application ourselves.
Is this posting real?
- This role has been open
- 82 days DoorDash USA's roles stay open a median of 82 days
- Reposted
- No
- Salary listed
- No 0% of DoorDash USA's roles list one
- Ghost-job risk at DoorDash USA
- high 462 stale, 8 reposted of 462 open
- Hiring momentum
- 682 roles opened in the last 90 days ↑ up vs. the prior 90 days
- Last confirmed on the employer's board
- 2026-10-24
Measured from postings appearing on and disappearing from DoorDash USA's own greenhouse board since 2026-08-03. Full hiring picture for DoorDash USA.
About this role
As a Planning & Controls Engineer on the Autonomy Software team at DoorDash Labs, you will develop and implement flight control, motion planning, and mission planning algorithms for drone delivery systems. This hands-on role involves designing controllers in C++, testing them in flight, and ensuring robust performance under various conditions. You will also work on dynamics simulation and aerodynamics modeling, contributing to the overall efficiency and safety of drone operations.
- benefits
- 5/5
- freshness
- 1/5
- career value
- 5/5
- role clarity
- 5/5
- pay transparency
- 0/5
Scored from the posting itself — how clearly the role is described, how much it says about pay and benefits, and how recently it was listed. Not a judgement of DoorDash USA as an employer.
What you need
- Deep controls fundamentals: linear and nonlinear systems, stability analysis, controller synthesis and tuning, frequency domain analysis, optimization, and linear algebra
- Excellent knowledge of C++ and embedded systems
- Dynamics modeling and simulation experience with aerodynamics knowledge
- Experience developing and tuning flight controllers, interfacing with state estimation
- Excellent knowledge of motion planning algorithms (trajectory optimization and nonlinear optimization, A*/D*/RRT variants)
- Experience with sensorless brushless DC motor control
Nice to have
- Familiarity with PX4 internals (mixer, rate controller, position controller)
- Experience with hybrid VTOL transition control
- Experience with tethered or suspended payload dynamics
- Contributions to open-source flight stacks or robotics frameworks
- Published papers in controls, motion planning, or aerial robotics
What you get
- 401(k) plan with employer matching
- 16 weeks of paid parental leave
- Wellness benefits
- Commuter benefits match
- Paid time off and paid sick leave
- Medical, dental, and vision benefits
Worth weighing
- No specific salary listed, only a pay range
- Role involves working with embedded systems which may require specialized knowledge
- Focus on drone technology may limit exposure to other areas of software engineering
Summarised from DoorDash USA's posting. Read the full original.
Listed by DoorDash USA on their greenhouse job board, last confirmed open on 2026-10-24. PitchMeAI is not the employer.
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