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DoorDash USA

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.

Our read on this posting3.2out of 5
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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