Senior Software Engineer, Aircraft Software
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 1, 2026. First seen by Alion on Sep 6, 2026. Joby Aviation scores A on the Alion truth index.
Company Overview
Imagine a piloted air taxi that takes off vertically, then quietly carries you and your fellow passengers over the congested city streets below, enabling you to spend more time with the people and places that matter most. At Joby, we've been working to make that dream a reality since 2009 and we're now in the final stages of certifying our aircraft with the FAA. With plans to launch our aircraft in the US and Dubai, we're now scaling manufacturing and preparing for the launch of our commercial service.
Overview
This position involves architecture and implementation of DO-178C compliant embedded software for the Joby Aviation aircraft. The engineer will play a key role in a small, fast- moving team and have input to requirements, conceptual system design, and implementation of embedded software for a wide range of embedded systems. You will write safe, robust, and testable code tailored for embedded systems. Apply if you're excited about writing modern code for commercial aerospace systems.
Responsibilities
You will be responsible for designing and implementing the embedded C++ software that runs on our electric-powered, fly-by-wire aircraft. You’ll also collaborate with systems engineers and hardware designers to author software requirements and integrate complex systems. You will be involved in all facets of our software design and development.
Examples of safety critical on aircraft projects that you may be focused on are:
- Communications and Networking System - Contribute to the embedded software and design that is the communications backbone of the Joby aircraft
- Motor Inverter - Contribute to the software that operates and manages the electric motors of our Joby aircraft
- Flight Critical Subsystems - All the aircraft’s subsystems are fully designed by Joby. The Joby Embedded Software team is responsible for all the software that makes the aircraft fly. There are opportunities to join various other software projects. Having a strong understanding of system, software, microcontroller, and FPGA designs are all desired
Required
- University degree in computer science, computer engineering, robotics, mechatronics, electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, or other STEM fields and 7+ years of industry experience. An advanced degree and 5+ yrs of industry experience will also be considered
- Expert knowledge of C++ and object-oriented programming and methodology
- Demonstrated understanding of hardware from an embedded software engineer's perspective
- Experience with modern integrated development environments and debuggers
- Hands-on experience with test and measurement equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, voltmeters, etc
- Understanding of modern microcontroller and microprocessor architectures such as ARM
- Cortex-M0/M3/M4/A8/A9 and related embedded processors
- Knowledge of object-oriented programming methodology and multi-layered system architectures
- Knowledge of and experience with communication protocols including MDIO, I2C, SPI, UART, etc.
- A positive attitude and a passion for aerospace
- Ability to be onsite in Santa Cruz, CA 4 days a week
Desired
- Exposure to the software development process and modern software engineering techniques
- Experience with DO178C process, requirements authoring and verification
- Knowledge of and experience with real-time operating systems
Please still apply if you don’t meet all items in the desired section! Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. We are dedicated to building a diverse and effective workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles
Additional Information
Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $157,800 - $245,400/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.
Joby is an Equal Opportunity Employer