Senior Embedded Software Engineer, Long Range Platform

About Zipline

Zipline is the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service. We are on a mission to serve all humans equally by ensuring access to food, medicine and essential goods anytime, anywhere. We design, build, and operate the world’s largest autonomous logistics system, delivering critical supplies quickly and reliably. Today, Zipline operates on four continents, makes a delivery somewhere in the world every 30 seconds, and has completed millions of deliveries to date, including blood, vaccines, medical supplies, food, and retail products.

Our customers include the world’s largest and most prominent healthcare systems, governments, retailers, restaurants and global businesses who rely on us to save lives, reduce emissions, increase economic opportunity, and provide delivery from point A to point B as fast as possible. The drone is only 15% of what we’ve built to enable seamless, reliable, global operations.

Our system strengthens supply chains, reduces congestion, and gives people time back. With more than 140 million commercial autonomous miles safely flown, Zipline is redefining access to healthcare, consumer products, and food across the globe.

We operate at a global scale and are looking for practical problem solvers who thrive on real-world challenges and rapid growth. Our team is motivated by building systems that have a direct, meaningful impact on people’s lives and by scaling the future of logistics. We are seeking people who sculpt from first principles, enjoy facing adversity, and can do the impossible at record breaking speeds.

About You and the Role

As a Senior Embedded Software Engineer, you will help build the software foundation for some of the most critical systems on our aircraft. This role is well suited for an engineer who is excited to work close to the hardware, move fluidly across different embedded environments, and take ownership of complex problems from early prototype through field-ready deployment.

You are a strong software engineer first, with deep curiosity about how systems behave in the real world. You are comfortable working across a range of platforms, whether that means writing low-level firmware, developing within an RTOS, or building software for embedded Linux systems. You enjoy debugging difficult issues, especially at the boundary between software, hardware, and system behavior, and you bring a thoughtful, methodical approach to getting to the root cause.

This is a role for someone who thrives in a fast-moving, highly collaborative environment. You are energized by ambiguity, eager to learn new domains quickly, and willing to jump in where needed to help the team move faster. You care about building robust, reliable systems, but you also know how to balance rigor with pragmatism in order to make progress.

Most importantly, you are motivated by the mission. You want to work on meaningful technology, contribute to a small and high-impact team, and help build systems that support Zipline’s long-range platform and broader delivery network.

What You'll Do

• Build the embedded software that runs critical flight and safety functions across our aircraft’s microcontrollers and embedded Linux edge computers.

• Improve the reliability of the flight software system end to end by partnering closely with hardware, systems, and cross-functional engineering teams on fault management, validation, and hardware-in-the-loop testing.

• Use flight data and runtime analysis to understand system behavior in the real world, improve confidence in performance, and optimize software where it will have the greatest impact.

• Create the metrics, monitoring, and debugging infrastructure needed to support safe, scalable deployment in the field.

• Develop tools and test capabilities that accelerate early-stage evaluation of new sensors, communication systems, and microcontroller platforms.

• Jump into ambiguous, cross-functional problems and help turn early ideas and prototypes into dependable systems that can scale with the network.

What You'll Bring

• Strong software engineering fundamentals, with proficiency in at least one strongly typed language. We use C++, Rust, and Python.

• Curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to learn across a wide range of embedded environments, from bare metal and RTOS-based systems to 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 strong debugging instincts; you know how to break down ambiguous problems and methodically narrow in on root causes.

• Fluency at the hardware/software interface, including bringing up peripherals from schematics and datasheets and debugging prototype hardware.
Motivation to thrive in a fast-moving, startup environment where engineers wear multiple hats, move quickly, and help shape both the product and the way the team works.

• A mission-driven mindset and excitement for building technology that expands access, improves lives, and supports Zipline’s global delivery network.
Willingness to work regularly from our South San Francisco headquarters, typically 3–4 days per week, to support close cross-functional collaboration.

What Else You Need to Know

The starting cash range for this role is $125,000 - $210,000. 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.

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!

Please Note

We have received reports stating that certain individuals are reaching out to people under false pretenses, claiming to be Zipline employees, affiliates, agents, or representatives. They may seek to gain access to your personal information or to acquire money from you by offering fictitious employment opportunities or by claiming that they are contacting you on Zipline’s behalf.

Genuine Zipline employees or representatives will never ask you for money or payment in exchange for employment opportunities or other related services. Any such offer of employment or any other service in exchange for fees that claims to be from us is deceitful and part of a fraud.

If you believe you have been targeted by a fraudulent party, we ask that you immediately get in touch with us via email at [email protected] upon receiving a suspicious offer or claim.