Software Engineer, Flight Autonomy
WindBorne Systems is supercharging weather models with a unique proprietary data source: constellations of next-generation smart weather balloons targeting the most critical atmospheric data. We then combine that unique data source with the world’s most accurate AI weather models. Our long-term vision is to eliminate weather uncertainty, and in the process help humanity adapt to climate change, be that predicting hurricanes or speeding the adoption of renewables. The founding team of Stanford engineers was named Forbes 2019 30 under 30 and is backed by top investors including Khosla Ventures.
WindBorne is looking for a Software Engineer to architect, build, and maintain fleet management systems that handle thousands of balloons simultaneously flying across the globe. You will be enabling dynamic data & targeting objectives while scaling trajectory optimizations to increase endurance, all while building safe automations to minimize balloon loss & incidents without human intervention. This is an intentionally broad set of tasks that require a systems-level understanding & excitement of how your software fights the crushing constraints of the real world, from cursed GPS interference from solar flares, to avoiding terrain collisions due to discretization edge cases, to the navigational operationalization of our own WeatherMesh forecasts. As a key player in expanding the world's largest atmospheric sensing network and the world's highest accuracy AI weather predictions, you'll contribute to groundbreaking work that has far-reaching implications.
We're dedicated to both mitigating climate change and helping humanity adapt to its effects as fast as possible, and you can be a part of our mission to make this global societal impact. If you like the idea of working on cutting edge technology, and working with a fast moving team, WindBorne is the place for you.
Responsibilities
Engineer autonomous ground software for robust resolution of balloon operational challenges, while minimizing human intervention.
Elevate mission control capabilities with improved flight health estimators and anomaly handling, facilitating advanced constellation objectives.
Develop cutting-edge autonomous flight control, navigation, and decision-making algorithms for our smart weather balloons, ensuring maximal flight duration.
Implement predictive modeling and adaptive strategies to mitigate balloon loss in adverse weather, while collecting highly valuable data of interest.
Further operationalize our own industry leading AI weather forecasts for precise and reliable balloon constellation management.
Create guidance and analysis frameworks, integrating software and hardware to enhance system performance.
Adapt to evolving GSB technology, prioritizing flexibility in development to address changing needs.
Assume responsibility of a flight control shift, using real-time data to refine algorithms and deepen system understanding.
Skills and Qualifications
Years of professional experience writing, shipping, and maintaining software in a real-world setting.
Must be excited by rapid iteration more than trying to perfectly plan ahead of time
Proficiency in Python, familiarity with C++ interfaces.
Ability and willingness to get hands dirty in low level software.
Must be an effective communicator, adept at conveying complex technical ideas in accessible terms to stakeholders at all levels.
Must excel in a collaborative environment, fluidly designing solutions that minimize tradeoffs and interface cleanly with other team’s systems.
Ideally hands on experience with:
Multi agent systems
Guidance, navigation, & controls
dynamics, modeling, & simulation
Must be comfortable being scrappy and architecting solutions in a rapidly evolving, undefined problem space.
Benefits
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Vision insurance
- Unlimited PTO
- Stock Option Plan
- Office food and beverages
Location
Address: 858 San Antonio Rd, Palo Alto, CA.
In person strongly preferred.
What our hardware looks like
