Senior Software Engineer - Autonomy Safety Metric

Zoox
Foster City, CA
Hybrid

In the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026, Zoox filed 177 H-1B positions titled "Software Engineer". Source: U.S. Department of Labor, LCA disclosure data. A record of filings already made, not a commitment to sponsor.

Who this role is best for

Data-platform engineers with applied statistics expertise will find this role in autonomy safety metric development.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with 5+ years in data platforms and a statistical mindset for safety modeling
    — “7 - 9 Years of experience or 5+ years with a strong data-platform track record”
  • Individuals who have built and maintained large-scale batch data pipelines with Delta tables
    — “Experience designing scalable batch data pipelines: orchestration, Delta/lakehouse tables, idempotent backfills”
  • Professionals adept at translating statistical methods into production-ready code
    — “Turn the statistical method (sampling, triage weights, mileage sharing, projections) into tested, reproducible code”

Things to consider

  • The role requires working with complex geofence expansions and release methodologies
    — “Help adapt to new release methodologies and new geofences”
  • Candidates must be prepared for a highly collaborative and fast-paced environment
    — “work closely with a team of talented engineers and researchers in a fast paced, collaborative environment”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with PySpark, Airflow, and Delta tables in your data pipeline projects
    — “Build and maintain the Behavior Evaluation data pipelines (PySpark/zspark medallion architecture on Databricks, EMR Serverless and Airflow)”
  • Emphasize your ability to implement statistical methods in production code with clear error handling
    — “Turn the statistical method (sampling, triage weights, mileage sharing, projections) into tested, reproducible code with checks that fail loudly when the data is bad”
  • Demonstrate tools you've built to reduce manual work in repetitive data processes
    — “Build tools that cut the manual work in each weekly run”
  • Showcase your experience with cross-functional collaboration in safety-critical systems
    — “Work with cross functional stakeholders so the methodology is applied consistently in code and in clearance reports”
  • Include production ML model integration experience if available for added differentiation
    — “Experience putting ML models into production in a data pipeline”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

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

What success looks like

  • building and maintaining data pipelines
  • implementing statistical methods in code
  • optimizing data processing
Typical background
data engineeringdata science

Skills & requirements

Required

PythonPysparkPandasData PipelinesBatch ProcessingStatistical Methods

Preferred

Autonomous Vehicle SimulationML Model DeploymentDatabricksAWS EMR Serverless

Stack & domain

PythonPysparkPandasData PipelinesStatisticsMachine LearningDatabricksAWSProblem-solvingTeamworkAdaptabilityAutonomous DrivingSafety Metrics

About the role

Original posting from Zoox via Lever

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced engineer to join the Behavior Evaluation team and play a pivotal role in measuring the safety of Zoox’s autonomous driving technology. The Behavior Evaluation is the team behind the behavioral part of Zoox’s estimate, quantifying how often the autonomy stack causes the vehicle to stop unexpectedly and how that maps to collision risk. As a member of this team, you will own and scale the pipeline behind these numbers, driving innovation in ML model scoring, sampling, and projections while making the system faster, more reliable, and easier to audit. You will work closely with a team of talented engineers and researchers in a fast paced, collaborative environment as Zoox expands to more cities and software releases.

In this role, you will::

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Build and maintain the Behavior Evaluation data pipelines (PySpark/zspark medallion architecture on Databricks, EMR Serverless and Airflow) that produce weekly per-geofence estimates.

-

Turn the statistical method (sampling, triage weights, mileage sharing, projections) into tested, reproducible code with checks that fail loudly when the data is bad.

-

Build tools that cut the manual work in each weekly run.

-

Work with cross functional stakeholders so the methodology is applied consistently in code and in clearance reports.

-

Help adapt to new release methodologies and new geofences.

Qualifications::

-

7 - 9 Years of experience or 5+ years with a strong data-platform track record 

-

Expert Python, with production experience in PySpark/Spark and Pandas

-

Experience designing scalable batch data pipelines: orchestration, Delta/lakehouse tables, idempotent backfills

-

Solid grounding in applied statistics: sampling, weighting, estimators, confidence intervals

-

Strong testing and CI habits for data code

Bonus Qualifications::

-

Experience with autonomous-vehicle simulation, safety metrics or triage workflows

-

Experience putting ML models into production in a data pipeline 

-

Experience with Databricks and AWS (EMR Serverless, S3)

Compensation:

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 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.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. 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.

Source: Zoox careers (Lever)

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