Sustaining Engineer, Powertrain & Thermal Systems

Zoox; Foster City (CA); On-site; USD 153,000 - 184,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health insurance

Stock Appreciation Rights

Job summary

Zoox is seeking a Sustaining Engineer for Powertrain and Thermal Systems in Foster City, California. This role involves independently owning sustaining engineering for key subsystems, conducting root cause investigations, and implementing corrective actions. The ideal candidate will have over 8 years of experience in powertrain or thermal systems, along with proficiency in tools like CATIA and JIRA. The position offers a salary range of $153,000 - $184,000, along with a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance and stock options.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in powertrain, thermal, or EV systems.
• Ability to deliver corrective actions to improve reliability and manufacturability.
• Experience with DFMEA and product process validation.

Responsibilities

• Own sustaining engineering for powertrain and thermal systems.
• Drive resolution of issues across electric drive and battery systems.
• Lead design updates for subsystem performance and durability.

Skills

Powertrain systems

Thermal systems

Root cause analysis

Communication skills

3D CAD (CATIA)

Education

BS in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering

Tools

CAD tools (CATIA)

JIRA

SQL

Python

Job description

At Zoox, we are developing a purpose-built autonomous robotaxi, and the Sustaining Engineering team plays a critical role in ensuring the long-term reliability, safety, serviceability, and availability of our fleet as it operates at scale.

As a Sustaining Engineer supporting Powertrain and Thermal Systems, you will independently own sustaining engineering for key subsystems supporting both the in service fleet and vehicles in current production. You will drive root cause investigations and corrective actions, making subsystem-level technical decisions and leading changes through design, validation, release, and fleet implementation.

This role requires close collaboration with Vehicle Development, Manufacturing, Service, Quality, Reliability, and Suppliers in a fast-paced and often ambiguous environment. You will prioritize work based on fleet and production impact, delivering solutions that improve safety, durability, fleet uptime, and manufacturing performance.

In this role, you will:

• Own sustaining engineering and corrective action development for powertrain and thermal systems across the in service fleet and vehicles in current production, from root cause confirmation through fleet-wide implementation
• Drive end-to-end resolution of field and manufacturing issues across electric drive systems, battery systems, power electronics, and thermal management systems
• Apply fleet and production data, including MTBF, repeat failure rates, and downtime drivers, to prioritize work, validate solutions, and drive continuous improvement
• Lead design updates and system improvements, ensuring robust performance, durability, efficiency, and serviceability in both fleet and production environments
• Author and manage Engineering Change Requests and Change Actions, and develop and execute validation plans at component, system, and vehicle levels
• Support and lead retrofit and rework campaigns, and partner with suppliers to resolve quality issues and improve reliability and manufacturability

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or related discipline
• 8+ years of experience in powertrain, thermal, battery, or EV systems within a product development, manufacturing, or sustaining environment
• Demonstrated ability to deliver subsystem-level corrective actions that improve reliability, durability, manufacturability, or serviceability in production vehicles
• Experience with root cause analysis, DFMEA, and product and process validation
• Excellent communication and documentation skills with the ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple priorities

• Experience in autonomous vehicles
• Experience with Design for Manufacturing and Design for Service (DFM/DFS), and Lean, Six Sigma, or similar continuous improvement methodologies
• Proficiency with 3D CAD tools, CATIA preferred, and familiarity with tools such as 3DX, DELMIA, SAP, JIRA, Confluence, or data analysis or visualization tools such as dashboards, SQL, and Python

$153,000 - $184,000 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.