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 a Senior/Staff Controls Engineer to lead the development and deployment of advanced control systems for robotic platforms. This is a senior individual contributor role with end-to-end ownership—from control theory and simulation to deployment on embedded systems.

The ideal candidate has deep experience tuning ground/flight control systems, writing embedded control algorithms in C++, and shipping real-world control software for robotic vehicles. This is not a modeling-only role—you’ll be responsible for taking algorithms from concept to real-world implementation, operating in close coordination with hardware, autonomy, and systems teams.

You're excited about this opportunity because you will… Develop, implement, and tune control algorithms for autonomous ground/flight platforms. Design and validate control strategies for stability, performance, and robustness across a range of operating regimes. Own the full controls toolchain, from simulation to embedded deployment. Implement real-time control software in C++ on embedded platforms, ensuring tight integration with onboard sensors and actuators. Work closely with systems, hardware, autonomy, and test teams to validate performance in field environments. Analyze flight data, perform system identification, and iterate rapidly on control architecture and parameters. Contribute to simulation environments, plant models, and HIL/SIL infrastructure as needed. We're excited about you because…  Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. 8+ years of experience in GNC or control systems engineering for autonomous vehicles. Strong background in classical and modern control theory, estimation, and systems dynamics. Demonstrated experience implementing control algorithms in C++ on embedded systems. Proficiency with control system development tools (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, Python, Eigen, or similar). Deep familiarity with real-world flight control tuning, testing, and diagnostics. Ability to operate independently, own complex systems, and deliver in fast-paced environments. Preferred Qualifications… Experience with aerospace or robotic systems operating in field or mission-critical contexts. Familiarity with embedded software development practices, real-time constraints, and flight-critical software. Knowledge of navigation, sensor fusion, and attitude estimation. Experience with flight test operations, data analysis, and post-mortem debugging. Exposure to safety-critical design, fault tolerance, and redundancy management.

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