Zoox

Fully electric autonomous ride-hailing service platform

Systems & Safety Engineering Intern

Mechanical EngineeringPosted on Nov 13

Internship · Summer 2027Foster City, CA, USA$31.73 - $54.81 /hr

About the Job

Requirements

Currently working toward a B.S., M.S., Ph.D., or advanced degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.
Maintain good academic standing at an accredited college or university.
Expected to graduate between Fall 2027 and Summer 2028, and remain enrolled at an accredited institution throughout the internship.
Commit to a full-time, 12-week internship beginning in May or June 2027.
Be able to relocate to the Bay Area, California, for the duration of the internship.
Do not use proprietary information worked on as part of a thesis or published university work, or distribute it outside Zoox.
Have a basic understanding of system architecture, including decomposing complex systems into functions, defining interfaces, and reasoning about failure propagation such as hazard analysis, FMEA, or FTA concepts.
Demonstrate proficiency in Python for data analysis, scripting, parsing requirements or test data, or building automated tools.
Have a solid foundation in probability and statistics for evaluating reliability, metrics, and quantitative system behavior.
Have hands-on experience using modern AI tools and agents in engineering or research, and validate AI outputs against specifications, standards, or empirical data.
Have strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write clear, structured, and testable engineering requirements.

Responsibilities

Use and build AI-assisted engineering workflows to generate, maintain, and verify safety work products aligned with industry standards such as ISO 26262.
Decompose system-level requirements and interfaces, and analyze how failure modes propagate across hardware, software, and autonomous subsystems.
Develop Python-based automation and data analysis scripts to extract metrics, validate system requirements, and automate safety analysis workflows.
Collaborate with systems engineers, hardware and software designers, and validation teams to advance safety traceability and continuous improvement.

Desired Qualifications

Have familiarity with automotive functional safety standards such as ISO 26262 or SOTIF/ISO 21448, or hazard analysis methods such as FTA, FMEA, or HARA.
Have experience designing agentic or LLM workflows beyond simple chat, such as document retrieval/RAG, function calling, or agent frameworks, or experience with requirements management tools such as Polarion, DOORS, Jama, or Jira.
Have a background in automotive, aerospace, or robotics systems, along with familiarity with Git version control, SQL, and software verification practices.

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 Platform Safety Engineering & Assurance (PSEA-Core) team within System Design & Mission Assurance, you will help build and ensure the highest standards of safety, rigor, and system architecture for Zoox’s purpose-built robotaxi. Our team is responsible for developing robust safety work products, evaluating failure modes, decomposing requirements, and building state-of-the-art tools and AI workflows to maintain safety compliance and system traceability across the vehicle platform.

In this Role, You Will…

Leverage and build AI-assisted engineering workflows to generate, maintain, and verify safety work products aligned with industry standards (e.g., ISO 26262).

Decompose system-level requirements and interfaces, analyzing how failure modes propagate across complex hardware, software, and autonomous subsystems.

Develop Python-based automation and data analysis scripts to extract metrics, validate system requirements, and automate safety analysis workflows.

Collaborate cross-functionally with systems engineers, hardware/software designers, and validation teams to drive safety traceability and continuous improvement.

Internship Requirements

Currently working towards a B.S., M.S., Ph.D., or advanced degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.

Good academic standing at an accredited college or university.

Expected to graduate between Fall 2027 and Summer 2028, and enrolled at an accredited institution throughout the internship.

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

System Design & Failure Reasoning: Basic understanding of system architecture—breaking complex systems into functions, defining interfaces, and reasoning about failure propagation (e.g., hazard analysis, FMEA, or FTA concepts).
Python Automation & Data Analysis: Demonstrated proficiency in Python for data analysis, scripting, parsing requirements/test data, or building automated tools.
Probability & Statistics Foundations: Solid foundation in probability and statistics to evaluate reliability, metrics, and quantitative system behavior.
AI-Assisted Engineering Judgment: Hands-on experience using modern AI tools and agents (LLM assistants, prompt pipelines, coding agents) in engineering or research, with a disciplined habit of validating AI outputs against specs, standards, or empirical data.
Technical Communication & Requirements: Strong written and verbal communication skills, including comfort writing clear, structured, and testable engineering requirements.

Bonus Qualifications

Safety Standards & Analysis Exposure: Familiarity with automotive functional safety standards (ISO 26262, SOTIF/ISO 21448) or hazard analysis methodologies (FTA, FMEA, HARA).
Advanced AI Workflows & ALM Tools: Experience designing agentic or LLM workflows beyond simple chat (e.g., document retrieval/RAG, function calling, agent frameworks) or experience with requirements management tools (Polarion, DOORS, Jama, Jira).
Domain & Software Practices: Background in automotive, aerospace, or robotics systems, paired with familiarity with Git version control, SQL, and software verification practices.

Compensation

The monthly salary range for this position is $5,500 to $9,500. Compensation will vary based on geographic location and level of education. 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.

Accommodations

If you need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process please reach out to [email protected] 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.

About the Company

Zoox

Fully electric autonomous ride-hailing service platform

Zoox designs and operates an autonomous ride-hailing service built around a purpose-built, fully electric vehicle designed specifically for autonomous operation. The vehicle uses advanced sensors, cameras, and AI to navigate complex urban environments, offering a four-passenger interior for comfort. Unlike competitors that retrofit existing cars, Zoox engineers both the vehicle and the service from the ground up, enabling optimized safety, efficiency, and passenger experience through integrated software that optimizes routing and reduces wait times. The company emphasizes safety through extensive testing and regulatory collaboration, and sustainability via electric mobility. The ultimate goal is to provide a smarter, safer, and more efficient urban transportation system that improves city life while reducing emissions.

Company size: 5,001-10,000
Company stage: Acquired
Total funding: $1.2B
Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA
Founded: 2014

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