About the Team

DoorDash Labs, established in 2018, serves as the innovation hub for DoorDash, focusing on developing automation and robotics solutions to enhance last-mile logistics. The team's mission is to create technologies that support and augment human networks, aiming to improve efficiency for Dashers, merchants, and consumers alike.  We’re ruthlessly focused on business impact.  We are a highly senior team composed of former pioneers from a variety of different robotics industries.  As of 2025, DoorDash has completed 10B lifetime deliveries.  We’re focused on how to do the next 10B even better.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and hands-on Head of Autonomy to lead the architecture, design, and implementation of our complete autonomous system for last-mile delivery. You will be responsible for the entire autonomy stack. The ideal candidate has a deep background in robotics and autonomous systems and is not afraid to get into the code. This is a key leadership role where you will set the technical vision and roadmap, making critical decisions to build a safe, reliable, and scalable solution that will redefine the future of delivery.

You're excited about this opportunity because you will… Lead the Charge: Lead, mentor, and grow a world-class team of autonomy and software engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, excellence, and agility. Define the Vision: Architect and own the technical vision and strategic roadmap for the entire autonomy stack, from perception and sensor fusion to planning, navigation, and control. Build for Reliability: Drive the architecture of a highly reliable, fault-tolerant, and performant software system designed for mission-critical operations in complex, real-world environments. Roll Up Your Sleeves & Code: Dive deep into the codebase to architect, implement, and optimize critical components of the autonomy stack, leading by example through direct, hands-on technical contribution. Oversee Technical Excellence: Guide the entire development lifecycle of the system's autonomous capabilities, instilling best practices in software engineering, system integration, and safety-critical design. Solve the Hardest Problems: Direct the design and implementation of advanced algorithms for decision-making, path planning, and behavioral responses in dynamic and unpredictable situations. Guarantee Performance: Establish and enforce rigorous testing, validation, and verification processes to ensure the autonomy system is robust, safe, and performs reliably in high-stakes scenarios. Collaborate and Integrate: Work closely with cross-functional leaders across hardware, systems, and product teams to deliver a seamlessly integrated and industry-leading autonomous solution. Drive Future Innovation: Stay at the forefront of advancements in robotics, AI, and autonomous systems, championing the adoption of cutting-edge technologies that provide a competitive advantage. We're excited about you because…  You hold an M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related technical field. You have 10+ years of industry experience designing and deploying autonomy software for complex robotic systems, with a proven track record of shipping products. You have direct, hands-on experience developing software for systems that must operate in high-reliability or safety-critical situations (e.g., aerospace, defense, autonomous vehicles, medical robotics). You possess a deep, systems-level understanding of the entire autonomy stack, from low-level sensor processing and perception to high-level decision-making and control architecture. You have demonstrable experience developing for and deploying on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) / drones.

Notice to Applicants for Jobs Located in NYC or Remote Jobs Associated With Office in NYC Only

We use Covey as part of our hiring and/or promotional process for jobs in NYC and certain features may qualify it as an AEDT in NYC. As part of the hiring and/or promotion process, we provide Covey with job requirements and candidate submitted applications. We began using Covey Scout for Inbound from August 21, 2023, through December 21, 2023, and resumed using Covey Scout for Inbound again on June 29, 2024.

The Covey tool has been reviewed by an independent auditor. Results of the audit may be viewed here: Covey