Control Engineer - Labs (San Francisco)

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. Were 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. Were 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 ownershipfrom 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 roleyoull 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

• Bachelors or Masters 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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Compensation

The successful candidates starting pay will fall within the pay range listed below and is determined based on job-related factors including, but not limited to, skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. Base salary is localized according to an employees work location. Ranges are market-dependent and may be modified in the future.

In addition to base salary, the compensation for this role includes opportunities for equity grants. Talk to your recruiter for more information.

DoorDash cares about you and your overall well-being. Thats why we offer a comprehensive benefits package to all regular employees, which includes a 401(k) plan with employer matching, 16 weeks of paid parental leave, wellness benefits, commuter benefits match, paid time off and paid sick leave in compliance with applicable laws (e.g. Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act). DoorDash also offers medical, dental, and vision benefits, 11 paid holidays, disability and basic life insurance, family-forming assistance, and a mental health program, among others.

To learn more about our benefits, visit our careers page here .

See below for paid time off details:

• For salaried roles: flexible paid time off/vacation, plus 80 hours of paid sick time per year.
• For hourly roles: vacation accrued at about 1 hour for every 25.97 hours worked (e.g. about 6.7 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 3.4 hours/month if working 20 hours/week), and paid sick time accrued at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (e.g. about 5.8 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 2.9 hours/month if working 20 hours/week).

The national base pay range for this position within the United States, including Illinois and Colorado.

$159,800$235,000 USD

About DoorDash

At DoorDash, our mission to empower local economies shapes how our team members move quickly, learn, and reiterate in order to make impactful decisions that display empathy for our range of usersfrom Dashers to merchant partners to consumers. We are a technology and logistics company that started with door-to-door delivery, and we are looking for team members who can help us go from a company that is known for delivering food to a company that people turn to for any and all goods.

DoorDash is growing rapidly and changing constantly, which gives our team members the opportunity to share their unique perspectives, solve new challenges, and own their careers. We're committed to supporting employees happiness, healthiness, and overall well-being by providing comprehensive benefits and perks including premium healthcare, wellness expense reimbursement, paid parental leave and more.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Were committed to growing and empowering a more inclusive community within our company, industry, and cities. Thats why we hire and cultivate diverse teams of people from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that true innovation happens when everyone has room at the table and the tools, resources, and opportunity to excel.

Statement of Non-Discrimination : In keeping with our beliefs and goals, no employee or applicant will face discrimination or harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, or veteran status. Above and beyond discrimination and harassment based on protected categories, we also strive to prevent other subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (i.e., stereotyping) from ever gaining a foothold in our office. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at DoorDash. We value a diverse workforce people who identify as women, non-binary or gender non-conforming, LGBTQIA+, American Indian or Native Alaskan, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, differently-abled, caretakers and parents, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Thank you to the Level Playing Field Institute for this statement of non-discrimination.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and any other state or local hiring regulations, we will consider for employment any qualified applicant, including those with arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with the applicable regulation.

If you need any accommodations, please inform your recruiting contact upon initial connection.

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