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# Software Engineer, Airspace Platform

- **Company:** Zipline
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA, United States
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Amazon Web Services, Cloud Engineering, Distributed Systems, Interoperability, Open Source Technology, Service-Oriented Architecture, Software Engineering, Software Systems, Safety Critical Systems, Kubernetes
- **Published:** October 22, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.thejobnetwork.com/job/b00a6ff1-aeb8-4ba3-bfc2-ce215d396eef/software-engineer-airspace-platform

## About the Role

* A track record of designing and delivering reliable software systems in complex or high-consequence environments
 * Strong experience with distributed systems, service architecture, APIs, and data modeling
 * Sound engineering judgment, including the ability to make and communicate tradeoffs under ambiguity
 * Experience operating production services in a modern cloud environment; experience with AWS and Kubernetes is helpful
 * A product mindset and empathy for operators, partners, and other users of the systems you build
 * Strong written and verbal communication skills
 * Experience owning technically complex projects from definition through production

Helpful Experience

 * Safety-critical, security-sensitive, real-time, or other high-consequence systems
 * Simulation, optimization, geospatial systems, robotics, autonomy, or aviation
 * Interoperability standards or open-source development
 * AWS and Kubernetes at production scale

## Description

We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer who thrives in ambiguous, early-stage environments and enjoys turning complex operational and safety requirements into reliable products. You will help shape both the architecture and the product as we move from initial concepts to deployed systems.

Previous aviation experience is not required. We're looking for engineers who are excited to learn the domain and build scalable, safety-critical systems with meaningful real-world impact.

What You'll Do

 * Lead the design and delivery of airspace-management capabilities for one of the world's most active commercial drone networks
 * Build core services for shared-airspace coordination, flight deconfliction, and simulation
 * Translate safety, operational, and interoperability requirements into clear system designs and product decisions
 * Design systems for correctness, resilience, testability, observability, and auditability
 * Own projects across the software lifecycle, from technical discovery and architecture through implementation, validation, rollout, and operation
 * Design APIs and data models that support coordination across internal systems and external airspace participants
 * Contribute to relevant open-source projects and industry interoperability efforts
 * Raise the engineering bar through technical leadership, thoughtful reviews, and mentorship