Ribbit Looking for Software Engineering Intern – Robotics at Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Note: if this opening appears paused on LinkedIn, please check our careers page directly at flyribbit.com/careers.

Introduction

Thank you for checking out our careers at Ribbit. We look forward to speaking with you!

We read everything that comes our way. Let your outstanding résumé (cover letter and design portfolio optional) do the talking. For important questions or comments, contact us at [email protected].

Company

Ribbit is a VC-backed startup creating the world’s first pilotless airline. We have built v1.0 of an autonomous technology stack that performs full gate-to-gate operations including taxiing, takeoffs, landings, and in-flight maneuvers. We plan to retrofit and operate fleets of self-flying aircraft to deliver cargo, starting with remote areas around the world. And in the future, we’ll expand to cargo and passenger travel at large. Our mission is to help people access the products, people, and places they love. We achieve this mission through the persistent pursuit of better transportation.

Since incorporating in 2020, we’ve modified a two-seater airplane as our development testbed, conducted over 200 hours of hands-free flights, and completed the first automated gate-to-gate flight between two airports in Canada! You can find videos of our work on YouTube. We have also signed 6 enterprise customers representing $41M per year in future revenues, and we have received regulatory approvals for remotely piloted flight tests. Currently, we are servicing a $1.3M federal contract with Transport Canada to test and demonstrate our technology in support of future regulatory evolution. Our team has years of experience with piloting, developing long-range drones, and developing autonomous mobile robots—we’re concentrating the world’s best software, robotics, and aeronautical expertise to create the future of autonomous flight.

Position Overview

As a Software Engineering Intern – Robotics, you will collaborate with peers to:

• Design, code, test, and deploy software for Level ~4 autonomous aircraft
• Influence overall system architecture and software development practices
• Contribute to other technical areas and grow your skills
• Work hard, support your teammates, have fun, and change the world!

Depending on the length of your internship, some of your key objectives will include:

• Develop test automation and reporting infrastructure to accelerate the software development life cycle
• Perform tests, analyze data, and propose improvements to modules for state estimation, perception, planning, controls, fly-by-wire, and system safety
• Develop features related to GUIs and communications infrastructure to monitor aircraft operations during testing
• Support fully autonomous flight tests in a controlled environment with no pilot aboard the aircraft
• Develop novel best practices for aeronautical software development that will set the standard for the future of autonomous flight
• Work with the team to conduct fully autonomous missions, including taxi, takeoff, collision avoidance, VFR circuits, and landing

Other Details:

• No. of Positions: 1 (possibly 2 if candidates are exceptional)
• Duration: 4, 8, 12 months possible — starting January or May 2024
• Interviews on a rolling basis (see website for details on hiring process)
• Flexible work hours
• Remote work where possible, but on-site presence during field tests
• Competitive compensation

Qualifications

As the ideal candidate, you have technical skills suited to a startup and meet the following requirements:

• Pursuing a university degree in a relevant area of engineering or computer science, with exposure to robotics, aerospace, and/or autonomous vehicles
• 1+ years experience coding in C++

Preferred and bonus qualifications include:

• Technical side projects that you work on in your spare time, for fun or learning
• Experience with ROS2 (ROS also acceptable), Git, JIRA, Docker, or software development methodologies (e.g. Agile)
• Experience from a startup, past internship, or student design team working on AVs, drones, or other similar systems

You also possess the soft skills to work in a high-stakes, fast-paced, tight-knit startup, including but not limited to:

• Communication skills
• Openness to give and receive feedback
• Time management and adaptability
• Self-awareness, including knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses
• Taking initiative to seek, define, and execute tasks with minimal guidance