Industrial Design Intern [Summer 2027]

Zoox
Foster City, CA
Hybrid

Who this role is best for

Strong fit for design students who sketch and model with a collaborative mindset and are available for a 12-week in-person internship in Foster City, CA.

Best fit for

  • Design students with prior industry experience and a focus on automotive design themes
    — “At least one prior industry internship, co-op, or relevant project experience”
  • Candidates with a clear design process and a passion for autonomous vehicles
    — “developing design themes for our vehicles and hardware products, gaining hands-on experience in building a strong, repeatable design process”
  • Individuals who can communicate effectively across cross-functional teams
    — “Collaborative mindset with the ability and enthusiasm to communicate effectively across internal and cross-functional teams”

Things to consider

  • Interns must relocate to the Bay Area for the full duration of the internship
    — “Willing and able to relocate to the Bay Area, California, for the duration of the internship”
  • Interns are expected to return to school after the internship
    — “Plan to return to school after completing the internship”

How to stand out

  • Showcase design projects that balance aesthetics and functionality in your portfolio
    — “designing from the ground up—developing autonomous robotaxi vehicles and hardware that balance beauty, functionality, and social impact”
  • Highlight your ability to document and refine your creative design process
    — “building a strong, repeatable design process while refining your own creative style”
  • Demonstrate your sketching and 3D modeling skills in your preferred medium
    — “Strong sketching skills in your preferred medium (paper, digital)”
  • Emphasize your experience in transportation or product design coursework
    — “Completed at least two years of transportation or product design coursework within an accredited design program”
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • tailored project development
  • strong design process
  • creative style refinement
Typical background
B.S., M.S., or advanced degree in transportation, industrial, product design

Skills & requirements

Required

Transportation DesignProduct Design3D ModelingCollaborationSketching

Preferred

Autonomous VehiclesAutomotive Design

Stack & domain

PythonReactLeadershipCommunicationAWSCFAFinanceHealthcare

About the role

Original posting from Zoox via Lever

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.

Job Description

This internship opportunity is within the Robot Industrial Design team. Zoox Robot Industrial Design brings together visionary designers and innovators dedicated to creating mobility solutions that serve everyone. Our team designs from the ground up—developing autonomous robotaxi vehicles and hardware that balance beauty, functionality, and social impact. We believe thoughtful design can transform not just individual experiences, but entire communities and generations.

As an intern, you will work on a tailored project developing design themes for our vehicles and hardware products, gaining hands-on experience in building a strong, repeatable design process while refining your own creative style. You’ll also gain valuable insight into automotive design by working closely with Zoox leaders, designers, surface modelers, and engineers.

Internship Requirements:

  • Currently pursuing a B.S., M.S., or advanced degree in transportation, industrial, product design, or related field.
  • Plan to return to school after completing the internship.
  • Maintain good academic standing.
  • Available to commit to a 12-week internship beginning in May or June 2026.
  • At least one prior industry internship, co-op, or relevant project experience.
  • Willing and able to relocate to the Bay Area, California, for the duration of the internship.
  • Interns may not use proprietary Zoox information in university theses, publications, or share it outside of Zoox.

Qualifications:

  • Completed at least two years of transportation or product design coursework within an accredited design program
  • A portfolio that showcases strong storytelling, clear process documentation, concept exploration, creative problem-solving, and refined aesthetic judgment
  • Strong sketching skills in your preferred medium (paper, digital)
  • Foundational 3D modeling skills in your preferred medium (Alias, Blender, etc)
  • Collaborative mindset with the ability and enthusiasm to communicate effectively across internal and cross-functional teams

Bonus Qualifications:

  • A passion for autonomous vehicles
  • Previous intern experience at an automotive or consumer product company

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.

Follow us on LinkedIn

Accommodations

If you need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process please reach out to accommodations@zoox.com 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.

Source: Zoox careers (Lever)

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