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Staff Software Engineer – Embedded Linux

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Staff Software Engineer – Embedded Linux

About Zipline

Do you want to change the world? Zipline is on a mission to transform the way goods move. Our aim is to solve the world’s most urgent and complex access challenges by building, manufacturing and operating the first instant delivery and logistics system that serves all humans equally, wherever they are. From powering Rwanda’s national blood delivery network and Ghana’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution, to providing on-demand home delivery for Walmart, to enabling healthcare providers to bring care directly to U.S. homes, we are transforming the way things move for businesses, governments and consumers. The technology is complex but the idea is simple: a teleportation service that delivers what you need, when you need it. Through our technology that includes robotics and autonomy, we are decarbonizing delivery, decreasing road congestion, and reducing fossil fuel consumption and air pollution, while providing equitable access to billions of people and building a more resilient global supply chain.

Join Zipline and help us to make good on our promise to build an equitable and more resilient global supply chain for billions of people.

About the Role

As a Linux Software Engineer at Zipline, you’ll build and maintain our Yocto-based Linux kernel BSP powering our flight computers, enabling our highly autonomous aircraft to safely fly over millions of homes day-in and day-out. You will work closely with other Linux experts on this team. You will also work closely with software engineers who build user-space applications and drivers. This job also spans the entire development lifecycle, working with the Release team, owning validation, and analyzing performance from real-world flight tests.

Our technical stack is built on embedded Linux, running on three desktop-grade computers with a distributed network of sensors, redundant communication links, and actuators. We are looking for detail-oriented engineers with deep expertise in embedded Linux and distributed systems, including kernel development, userspace tooling, real-time performance tuning, system reliability and core operating systems activities.

What You’ll Do

Design and build the software architecture necessary to run everything from critical flight software to interconnected ground-based hardware on embedded Linux systems
Contribute to the development and maintenance of our custom Linux distribution on Yocto, ensuring a reliable and performant foundation for our flight and ground-based systems
Analyze the runtime characteristics of our Linux-based avionics software in flight to build confidence in its performance, with a focus on system reliability, maintainability, and optimization
Develop and optimize kernel and userspace drivers for production and prototype sensors, and refine sensor data APIs for perception, navigation, and other autonomy software engineers
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 edge compute platforms

What You’ll Bring

Strong software engineering skills, with proficiency in at least one strongly typed language; we use Rust and C++ onboard, and Python for tooling
Deep expertise in embedded Linux development, including experience with kernel modifications, userspace programming, and performance tuning
Experience working with Yocto or other build systems for custom Linux distributions
Strong software architecture skills, with experience designing and shipping solutions for complex real-world use cases
A systems-oriented mindset, with a focus on reliability, fault tolerance, and performance optimization
Technical leadership skills and experience owning large technical systems that other engineers contribute to
Detail-oriented mindset to think through validating a system’s safety

What Else You Need to Know

The starting cash range for this role is $180,000 - $235,000. 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, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other characteristics protected by state, federal or local law or our other policies.

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!

Zipline Glassdoor Company Review

3.7

Zipline DE&I Review

3.8

CEO of Zipline

Keller Rinaudo

Approve of CEO

Average salary estimate

$207500 / YEARLY (est.)

min

max

$180000K

$235000K

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What You Should Know About Staff Software Engineer – Embedded Linux, Zipline

At Zipline, we're on an exciting mission to revolutionize logistics and transform the way goods move around the world. As a Staff Software Engineer – Embedded Linux, you'll play a pivotal role in this journey. Based in sunny South San Francisco, California, you'll be responsible for building and sustaining our Yocto-based Linux kernel BSP that powers our flight computers. This means you'll be helping to support our innovative, highly autonomous aircraft that safely navigate millions of homes daily. You’ll work closely with a team of experienced Linux experts and software engineers to ensure that our applications and drivers function seamlessly together. Your work will span the entire development lifecycle, from validating new software to analyzing performance based on real-world flight tests. If you have a detail-oriented approach and expertise in embedded Linux and distributed systems, this could be your chance to shine! You’ll design and optimize core software architectures that support not only our mission-critical flight software, but also ground-based hardware, ensuring operational reliability and maintainability. With your strong skills in programming languages such as Rust and C++, you’ll make a tangible impact in creating a more resilient global supply chain, while also optimizing system performance. Join us at Zipline and be a part of something truly meaningful where every line of code matters!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Staff Software Engineer – Embedded Linux Role at Zipline

What are the key responsibilities of a Staff Software Engineer – Embedded Linux at Zipline?

As a Staff Software Engineer – Embedded Linux at Zipline, your key responsibilities include designing and building the software architecture for our embedded Linux systems, maintaining our custom Linux distribution on Yocto, analyzing performance during flight, and developing drivers for sensors that contribute to our flight and ground-based systems. You will also collaborate with teams to optimize system performance and build testing tools for new technologies.