Backend Engineer, Drone - DoorDash Labs

About the Role

Key Responsibilities

• 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 drone backend systems, with emphasis on safe and compliant drone operations.
• Introduce tools and best practices to accelerate drone development processes and ensure adherence to aviation regulations.

Requirements

• 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

• 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)

Qualifications

• Educational background in relevant fields such as Computer Science, Robotics, or Aerospace Engineering.

Benefits & Perks

• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) plan with employer matching.
• 16 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Wellness benefits, commuter benefits match, paid time off, and paid sick leave.
• Paid holidays, disability and life insurance, family-forming assistance, mental health programs.
• Paid time off details vary for salaried and hourly roles, including flexible vacation and sick leave.