Develop and maintain pilot display systems for eVTOL aircraft, focusing on full-stack GUI applications, performance optimization, and UX design.
Pivotal is the leader in the emerging market of electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. We design, develop, and manufacture light eVTOL aircraft and are renowned for the BlackFly aircraft the world's first light eVTOL to fly manned missions and enter the consumer market.
Efficient, compact, and simple, Pivotal aircraft are designed for a wide range of consumer, public service, and defense applications. Our distinctive tilt-aircraft architecture and scalable platform have been flying for over 10 years. Last year we announced our next-generation aircraft, the Helix, which is rapidly progressing toward general release and scalable production in 2026.
Mobility is one of the most highly-valued areas of modern technology investments. This is the right company, in the right space, the right strategy, at the right time. If you are ready for adventure, we invite you to join our amazing team and grow with us.
As part of the Software Engineering team, you will drive the development and maintenance of the pilot display systems used for our eVTOL aircraft.
Responsibilities
- Application & System Ownership
- Own and maintain a full-stack GUI application running on embedded Linux
- Develop and enhance core functionality in C++
- Design and maintain UI components (Qt/QML is a strong plus)
- Debug issues across application, OS, and hardware layers
- Optimize performance in resource-constrained environments
- Multimedia & Hardware Integration - Integrate and manage camera systems
- Develop and maintain GStreamer-based video pipelines
- Implement and optimize map rendering on embedded platforms
- Product & UX Contribution - Collaborate on feature definition and product decisions
- Improve user workflows and interaction models
- Contribute to UI/UX design decisions and implementation
- Translate operational needs into intuitive interface behavior
- Balance technical constraints with user experience quality
Qualifications
- Strong proficiency in modern C++
- Solid experience with Linux systems and embedded Linux environments
- Proficiency in Python for scripting and tooling
- Experience integrating cameras and video pipelines
- Experience with GStreamer or similar multimedia frameworks
- Experience running or optimizing maps on embedded devices
- Strong debugging and systems-level thinking
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with Qt and/or QML
- Experience contributing to UX/UI design decisions
- Familiarity with GPU acceleration or graphics pipelines
- Background in real-time or safety-critical systems
- Strong ownership mentality — takes responsibility for the full system
- Product-minded engineer who thinks about usability, not just functionality
- Ability to move between system-level debugging and high-level feature design
- Comfort working cross-functionally with hardware, firmware, and product teams
- Practical, clear communicator
Attributes aligned with Core Values
- Demonstrates a proactive safety mindset by embedding safety into daily operations, identifying and mitigating risks through assessments and training, encouraging open dialogue on safety concerns, and continuously improving protocols to ensure a safe work environment.
- Puts customers at the center of every action by deeply understanding their challenges, delivering exceptional value, and striving to exceed expectations to support their success as our core purpose.
- Actively seeks and values diverse stakeholder perspectives, builds cross-functional relationships, and fosters trust through empathetic, fact-based communication—committing to shared decisions for the greater good.
- Drives results with clarity and purpose by focusing on what matters most, adapting to change, taking initiative, and owning outcomes while aligning actions with a clear understanding of success at every level.
- Navigates ambiguity with resilience and bold thinking, challenges the status quo, and combines innovative ideas with practical best practices to overcome obstacles and drive progress.
- Fosters a high-performance culture grounded in respect, professionalism, and support—balancing high expectations with a healthy, collaborative environment and being a trusted, dependable teammate.
Applicants must be eligible for employment in the United States and willing to work onsite at our HQ office in Palo Alto, CA.
Pivotal offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and 401k plans.
Pivotal is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Pivotal does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.
Similar Jobs
Artificial Intelligence • Cloud • HR Tech • Information Technology • Productivity • Software • Automation
Build and own distributed runtime infrastructure for agentic AI: session orchestration, lease-based distributed session management, event-driven pipelines, structured concurrency, observability, caching/state layers, and real-time streaming to support multi-step agent workflows at scale.
Top Skills:
Aws Sqs (Fifo)DynamoDBGoGrpcKafkaOpentelemetryPrometheusProtobufPythonPython AsyncioRedisSocket.Io
Aerospace • Hardware • Robotics • Software • Manufacturing
Designs and maintains controller processes for safety-critical hardware, focusing on fast deterministic binaries, memory-based IPC, high-performance low-latency execution, and integration with industrial protocols and TCP-based data flows between controllers and higher-level systems.
Top Skills:
C++CanHardware-In-The-LoopLock-Free ConcurrencyLxiMemory-Based IpcModbusOpendaqReal-Time OsRmc/DmcpRustTcp/IpTime-Sensitive Networking
Aerospace • Hardware • Robotics • Software • Manufacturing
Design, build, and operate compiler and runtime systems for device-level and platform software used to control automated factory, test, and launch systems. Own features end-to-end across design, implementation, testing, deployment, and operation. Build platform services, automation tooling, real-time data pipelines, and low-latency execution engines while partnering with hardware, manufacturing, and test teams to ensure safety, observability, and resilience.
Top Skills:
Bytecode InterpretersC++CompilersConcurrency ModelsDomain-Specific Languages (Dsl)InterpretersJitProgramming Language ImplementationReal-Time SchedulingRuntimeRustVirtual Machines
What you need to know about the San Francisco Tech Scene
San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area attracts more startup funding than any other region in the world. Home to Stanford University and UC Berkeley, leading VC firms and several of the world’s most valuable companies, the Bay Area is the place to go for anyone looking to make it big in the tech industry. That said, San Francisco has a lot to offer beyond technology thanks to a thriving art and music scene, excellent food and a short drive to several of the country’s most beautiful recreational areas.
Key Facts About San Francisco Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 365,500; 13.9% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Google, Apple, Salesforce, Meta
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, consumer technology, software
- Funding Landscape: $50.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
- Research Centers and Universities: Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco; Santa Clara University; Ames Research Center; Center for AI Safety; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
