Senior Software Engineer, Aircraft Software

Santa Cruz, CA eVTOL Full-time $158k to $245k Posted Aug 10, 2026
Apply on Joby Aviation (opens in a new tab) Sourced via careers-jobyaviation.icims.com · Posted 2026-08-10

About this role

Joby Aviation is hiring a Senior Software Engineer, Aircraft Software, full-time, on-site in Santa Cruz, CA, in the eVTOL sector.

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.

Description from Joby Aviation's official posting. Always confirm details on the company careers page.

Apply on Joby Aviation Applications go directly to Joby Aviation. Curated by Larry Sherwood Jr.

About Joby Aviation

Joby Aviation

eVTOL air taxi developer with FAA Part 135 certification and Toyota partnership. Santa Cruz, CA.

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Larry Sherwood Jr.

About Larry Sherwood Jr.

Talent Acquisition Leader specializing in mobility, EV, and frontier tech. 1,000+ hires across roles ranging from production technicians to VPs, including 48 hires for the AFEELA U.S. launch at Sony Honda Mobility (98% offer acceptance, $1.5M+ agency savings). SHRM-CP certified. Build recruiting functions from scratch, no agencies.

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