Staff Security Engineer, DoorDash Labs - Air

DoorDash•San Francisco, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Our team is looking for a Staff Security Engineer who will act as the primary security partner to DoorDash Labs - Air, our drone delivery program. This role owns the security strategy for our fleet of drones, ground infrastructure, and the software and networks that connect them. We’re looking for a highly technical, hands-on security engineer with deep experience securing IoT or robotic platforms, who can work independently and coordinate across engineering, hardware, and operations teams to drive security objectives and validation. This role is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with the expectation of coming into the office once a week, and periodic travel to test and production sites.

Requirements

8+ years of security engineering experience, with meaningful depth securing IoT or robotic platforms.
Hands-on experience with drone security, including drone authentication and the physical and software security of drones and their supporting infrastructure.
Strong networking fundamentals, including VPN/mesh networking tools such as Tailscale.
Proven ability to work autonomously while coordinating across cross-functional teams (engineering, hardware, operations) to drive schedules and validate security outcomes.
Experience reviewing RFCs and design documents, providing actionable, risk-based security feedback.
Willingness and ability to travel to test or production sites at least once a quarter.
Based in, or willing to relocate to, the San Francisco Bay Area, with the ability to come into the office once a week.
Proficient in scripting/programming languages (e.g., Python, Go) for security tooling and automation.
Experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP) and infrastructure-as-code tooling such as Terraform.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain technical security risk and trade-offs to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Security, Cybersecurity, Electrical/Robotics Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

Own and drive the security strategy for drone delivery including drone authentication systems, ensuring only trusted drones and operators can access DoorDash Labs - Air systems and networks.
Secure the physical and software layers of our drones and drone infrastructure, from firmware and onboard software to the physical hardware itself.
Secure the physical and software layers of our nests (drone docking and charging infrastructure) and related ground infrastructure.
Design and implement secure networking architecture across drone, nest, and ground systems.
Review RFCs and design documents for new Air features and infrastructure, providing security guidance early in the development lifecycle.
Visit test or production sites at least once a quarter to assess security controls, validate deployed systems, and build relationships with on-site teams.
Partner with Enterprise Security, GRC, and Engineering leadership to ensure Air’s security posture aligns with DoorDash’s broader security strategy.
Establish clear, measurable metrics to track the security posture and risk reduction of the Air program over time.