Staff/Senior Staff Software Engineer - Behavior Capabilities

Zoox; Foster City (CA); On-site; USD 242,000 - 349,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Amazon RSUs

Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights

Job summary

Zoox in Foster City is seeking an experienced engineer to enhance the capabilities of its autonomous vehicle fleet. This role focuses on developing algorithmic improvements and ensuring effective performance under various operational conditions.

Ideal candidates should have a Master's degree in Computer Science and over 7 years of relevant experience, including proficiency in C++. This position offers a competitive salary range of $242,000 - $349,000 plus comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in programming and algorithm design.
• Understanding of vehicle kinematics is critical.
• Experience shipping products to market, especially in robotics or consumer devices.

Responsibilities

• Create principled algorithmic improvements to driving behavior.
• Develop strategies to mitigate performance degradation under failure modes.
• Architect scalable solutions integrating with the driving stack.
• Define and execute tests for developed algorithms.

Skills

Fluency in C++

Algorithm design

Programming

Vehicle kinematics

Education

Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Job description

The Behavior Capabilities opportunity falls within the Fail Operational Planning team at Zoox. This team works to ensure that the robot continues to operate effectively, even in the presence of minor compartmentalized failures or degraded capabilities. The focus of the team includes developing behavioral and motion planning algorithms to improve trip progress, vehicle uptime metrics, and correspondingly a better customer experience. This is a cutting‑edge problem which requires teamwork and collaboration across a diverse group of experts including Planner, Perception, Prediction, Hardware, and more.

On this team, you will contribute to the next generation of algorithmic advancements to expand our robot’s ability to drive in some of the most complex scenarios. We are looking for an engineer who is excited to understand the interdependencies within the driving stack and takes ownership of their projects and has a holistic product‑focused approach towards development.

In This Role, You Will

• Create principled algorithmic improvements to specific areas of driving behavior and implement those changes in our code base.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally to develop strategies and intelligent behaviors to mitigate the performance degradation under various failure modes of the system.
• Architect and implement scalable solutions ensuring seamless integration with the rest of the driving stack.
• Partner with validation teams to define and execute tests for developed algorithms.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field and 7+ years of experience
• Fluency in C++
• Extensive experience with programming and algorithm design
• Understanding of vehicle kinematics

Bonus Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
• Experience shipping products to market (commercial robotics, drones, consumer devices, etc.)
• Demonstrated ability to create real‑time motion planning algorithms in a cross‑functional team

$242,000 - $349,000 a year

Base Salary Range

There are three major components to compensation for this position: salary, Amazon Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), and Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights. A sign‑on bonus may be offered as part of the compensation package. The listed range applies only to the base salary. Compensation will vary based on geographic location and level. Leveling, as well as positioning within a level, is determined by a range of factors, including, but not limited to, a candidate’s relevant years of experience, domain knowledge, and interview performance. The salary range listed in this posting is representative of the range of levels Zoox is considering for this position.

Zoox also offers a comprehensive package of benefits, including paid time off (e.g. sick leave, vacation, bereavement), unpaid time off, Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights, Amazon RSUs, health insurance, long‑term care insurance, long‑term and short‑term disability insurance, and life insurance.

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.

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. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.