Software Engineer, Zipline
Embedded Firmware
$160-215k
OTE
3-5 days a week in office (South San Francisco, CA)
Transforming the way goods move
Be an early applicant
Transforming the way goods move
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
$160-215k
OTE
3-5 days a week in office (South San Francisco, CA)
1001+ employees
Company mission
To open up access to emergency medical care to everyone in the world.
Role
Who you are
- Strong software engineering skills, with proficiency in at least one strongly typed language. We use C++, Rust, and Python
- Curiosity and a willingness to learn and work in a variety of embedded environments, from running on bare metal, to using and RTOS and integrating with embedded Linux
- Experience building and maintaining real-world deployed embedded systems, and handling the long tail of edge cases to ensure consistent safety, reliability and high performance
- A systems mindset and intuition for debugging; when anything could be wrong, you know how to narrow down the possibilities
- Fluency in implementing peripheral drivers based on electrical schematics and datasheets, and debugging at this boundary in order to support prototype hardware evaluation
- Our team uses a hybrid in-office and distributed work environment, centered around our headquarters in South San Francisco, CA. You must be able to work from the office on a regular basis
What the job involves
- As an embedded firmware engineer at Zipline, you will be responsible for building the lowest level and most safety-critical software on our aircraft
- You will work closely with a range of other disciplines, including electrical, mechanical, embedded Linux, and systems engineers, to ensure each aircraft seamlessly transitions from our manufacturing lines to being a participant in the largest drone delivery network in the world
- We use C++ in our firmware development, with Rust and Python for tooling that will be deployed to our production systems in the field
- Our aircraft are deployed to locations around the world, many not easily accessible, even over a network. You will help build re-usable firmware infrastructure that will level up our systems’ observability and reliability, without requiring an equal scaling of our engineering team
- Design and build the software necessary to run critical flight and safety processes on a network of microcontrollers, in cooperation with embedded Linux edge computers
- Understand and improve the reliability of the flight software system as a whole, working with hardware and systems engineers to develop comprehensive fault management strategies and hardware-in-the-loop tests
- Analyze the runtime characteristics of our avionics software in flight to build confidence in its performance, focusing on re-usable, maintainable software and optimizing where required
- Develop metrics, monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities to prepare the system for field deployment at scale
- Design and build data collection and testing tools to support early stage evaluation of new sensors, communications systems, and microcontroller platforms
Our take
Zipline is transforming the way goods move by creating the first logistics system that serves all humans equally via a drone delivery service. As the first emergency drone logistics operation, Zipline is fundamentally changing how we transport emergency medical supplies and has expanded into commercial deliveries. It's partnered with several major companies, including Walmart.
Zipline has an edge over potential future competitors as the company has thousands of hours and over 35 million miles of flight to prove the system is safe and effective. It’s also one of the first companies to receive a full commercial operating certificate, putting Zipline in a strong position to continuously branch out to other markets.
The unicorn company operates globally and has signed its first government contract with Rwanda to provide up to 2 million drone deliveries by 2029. It is also aiming to start commercial deliveries to individual households in the near future. With big companies such as Amazon and Walmart examining “instant” delivery options, Zipline has a proven track record and the equipment and logistics in place to provide such services. 2023 funding pushed Zipline's valuation to a staggering $4.2 billion, indicating a bright future.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
34% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 8 rounds)
Apr 2023
$330m
SERIES F
Jul 2021
$250m
SERIES E
Total funding: $813.7m
Company benefits
- Generous parental leave
- Generous vacation policy
- Monthly wellness stipend
- Monthly team events
- Healthcare, vision, and dental
- Healthy, delicious meals and snacks
- Dog-friendly offices
Company HQ
South San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Having studied Economics and Biotechnology at Harvard, they worked for almost 11 months as a self-employed rock climber. They combined their academic and practical experience to co-found Zipline in July 2011.
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