Data Scientist Intern [Summer 2027]

Zoox; Foster City (CA); On-site; USD 73,000 - 117,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Housing stipend

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Zoox is seeking a quantitative intern for the Risk Assessment team within System Design & Mission Assurance in Foster City, CA. You will apply statistical and ML methods to quantify safety across autonomous driving systems using real-world fleet and simulation data.

You will collaborate with engineers to translate quantitative findings into mission assurance decisions and gain hands-on experience on cutting-edge autonomous mobility projects.

Qualifications

• Strong foundations in probability, regression, GLMs, Bayesian methods.
• ML fundamentals including supervised/unsupervised learning, validation, and metric evaluation.
• Proficient SQL and Python for data querying, cleaning, and modeling; Spark/Databricks familiarity a plus.
• Ability to communicate complex quantitative findings clearly to technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Formulate statistical and ML models to evaluate system performance and rare safety events.
• Analyze large-scale datasets using SQL, Python, and distributed frameworks to extract actionable insights.
• Apply advanced statistical methods (Poisson processes, GLMs, Bayesian inference, space-time models) to safety metrics.
• Collaborate with engineers and safety leads to translate models into rigorous decisions.

Skills

Statistical Foundations

ML & Modeling

Data querying

Communication & problem solving

Education

Master's/PhD in quantitative field

Tools

SQL

Python

Spark/Databricks

Job description

About Our Internship Program

Zoox's internship program offers hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology, mentorship from some of the industry's brightest minds, and the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to real projects. We seek interns who demonstrate strong academic performance, engagement beyond the classroom, intellectual curiosity, and a genuine interest in Zoox's mission to create autonomous mobility from the ground up.

Job Description

As an intern in the Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) team within System Design & Mission Assurance, you will apply rigorous statistical methods and machine learning techniques to quantify safety and risk across our autonomous driving systems. You will work with complex, real-world fleet and simulation datasets to model rare safety events, establish statistical baselines, and develop metrics that validate the safety and mission assurance of our purpose-built robotaxi.

In this Role, You Will…

• Formulate and build statistical and machine learning models to evaluate system performance and analyze rare, high-consequence safety events.
• Process and analyze large-scale datasets using SQL, Python, or distributed data frameworks (Spark/Databricks) to extract actionable insights on vehicle behavior and operational risk.
• Apply advanced statistical methods (e.g., Poisson processes, GLMs, Bayesian inference, point process models, or spatial-temporal modeling) to evaluate safety-critical metrics.
• Collaborate with systems engineers and safety leads to translate complex quantitative models into rigorous mission assurance decisions.

Internship Requirements

• Currently pursuing a Master's or Ph.D. in Statistics, Data Science, Machine Learning, Computer Science, or a related quantitative engineering/scientific discipline.
• Enrolled in good academic standing at an accredited college or university throughout the internship.
• Expected to graduate between Fall 2027 and Summer 2028.
• Able to commit to a full-time, 12-week internship beginning in May/June 2027.
• Ability to relocate to the Bay Area, California, for the duration of the internship.
• Interns at Zoox may not use any proprietary information they are working on as part of their thesis, any published work with their university, or to be distributed to anyone outside of Zoox.

Qualifications

• Statistical Foundations: Deep understanding of probability theory, regression, Generalized Linear Models (GLMs), hypothesis testing, and Bayesian methods. Experience or coursework in spatial statistics, space-time models, point process models, or causal inference.
• Machine Learning & Modeling: Strong fundamentals in statistical modeling and ML (supervised and unsupervised learning, model validation, and metric evaluation).
• Data Manipulation & Querying: Proficiency with basic-to-intermediate SQL and Python for data querying, data cleaning, and statistical modeling (or alternative data packages such as Spark, dplyr, or R).
• Communication & Problem Solving: Demonstrated ability to break down ambiguous operational or system questions into structured statistical problems and clearly communicate complex quantitative findings to technical stakeholders.

Bonus Qualifications

• Large-Scale Data Processing: Experience querying, pipeline-building, and modeling massive datasets using Spark, Databricks, or cloud platforms.
• Rare-Event Modeling & Domain Experience: Familiarity with autonomous vehicles, transportation network companies (TNCs), quantitative safety/risk modeling, or fraud/rare-event detection.
• AI-Assisted Workflow & Tooling: Experience utilizing AI-assisted data analysis, modern coding agents, or LLM-driven research workflows to accelerate data exploration and model development.

Compensation

The monthly salary range for this position is $6,500 to $10,500. Compensation will vary based on geographic location and level of education (Master's vs. Ph.D.). Additional benefits may include medical insurance and a housing stipend (relocation assistance will be offered based on eligibility).

About Zoox

Zoox is developing the first ground-up, fully autonomous vehicle fleet and the supporting ecosystem required to bring this technology to market. Sitting at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, and design, Zoox aims to provide the next generation of mobility-as-a-service in urban environments. We're looking for top talent that shares our passion and wants to be part of a fast-moving and highly execution-oriented team.

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Accommodations

If you need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process please reach out to [e-mail] or your assigned recruiter.

A Final Note:

You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Zoox, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.