About You and The Role
Zipline’s autonomous drone delivery system relies on software that behaves safely and predictably. The avionics software team owns the flight computer operating system and platform services, as well as reliable management of the avionics sensor suite. As a Senior Embedded Software Validation Engineer, you will lead validation strategy and execution for avionics components, including the flight computer and its related peripherals, to ensure that software executes reliably and deterministically. Your work will help gather the evidence that exposes capability gains, gaps, regressions, and safety risks, and will serve as the foundation for confidently shipping software releases.
What You'll Do
- Develop component-level validation strategy for software correctness, reliability, and performance on an Embedded Linux node.
- Design, implement, and execute nominal, stress, and edge-case scenarios from simulation through full-system flight testing.
- Develop and maintain hardware test infrastructure to meet the above objectives
- Build metrics, visualizations, real-time performance and safety monitors, and automated tools that reveal capability changes and regressions.
- Set validation evidence and exit criteria that inform release, deployment, and operating-domain expansion decisions.
- Debug failures across simulation, hardware, firmware, embedded software, and application software; clearly document findings and escalate unresolved safety or performance risks.
- Partner with test infrastructure teams to increase automated validation coverage, efficiency, and precision while improving confidence in rapid development velocity.
What You'll Bring
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science/Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field.
- 5+ years of software development, software systems engineering, or software validation experience with robotic systems.
- Strong experience in one or more relevant domains: Embedded Linux, PREEMPT_RT, firmware / RTOS, safety-critical systems, 802.11, Ethernet.
- Experience developing validation strategies for autonomous robotics.
- Experience root-causing failures in complex autonomous systems.
- Proficiency with Rust or other programming languages used in safety-critical applications such as MISRA C, or C++.
- Familiarity with other programming and query languages such as Python and SQL.
- Experience deriving software safety or performance requirements from functional safety requirements or similar requirements decompositions.
What Else You Need To Know
The starting cash ranges for this role is $160,000 - $250,000. Please note that this is a target, starting cash range for a candidate who meets the minimum qualifications for this role. The final cash pay for this role will depend on a variety of factors, including a specific candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, working location, and projected impact. The total compensation package for this role may also include: equity compensation; discretionary annual or performance bonuses; sales incentives; benefits such as medical, dental and vision insurance; paid time off; and more. This position may be hired at one of three levels based on the candidate’s experience, skills, and demonstrated scope:
Software Engineer II: $160,000 - $190,000
Senior Software Engineer: $190,000 - $220,000
Staff Software Engineer: $220,000 - $250,000
Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws or our own sensibilities.
We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit, please apply!
Voluntary Self-Identification
For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.
As set forth in Zipline ’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.
