Data Scientist - Perception Verification and Validation
Hybrid Boston Full-time Mid-level AI Research
At a glance
Mid-level AI Research role at Zoox. Boston · full-time · $167,000–$228,000 base.
SalaryStated by Zoox
$167,000 – $228,000
Base salary for this role, in USD per year, as published in the posting.
This role, from ZooxOur estimate for the market: $148,410–$197,500Median $149,135
Above the market median of $149,135 for mid-level AI research roles in Boston.
Worked out from 5 postings that stated pay, median $149,135. Last updated Oct 9, 2026.
RoleAI Research
SeniorityMid-level
LocationBoston
WorkplaceHybrid
EmploymentFull-time
Base pay$167,000–$228,000
PostedSep 9, 2026 · 6w ago
Role brief
aimlroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Build and maintain datasets for checking perception performance and end-to-end driving behavior
- Set measures that show engineers how new features affect the perception stack and complete system
- Study large metric results to find trends and explain how perception failures occur
- Share findings with leadership and develop statistical approaches to quantify uncertainty in validation results
What you bring
- A master's or PhD in statistics, mathematics, computer science, or a related discipline
- Strong SQL or Spark/Scala querying skills and Python ability to produce production-quality code
- Some background in autonomous driving, safety-critical systems, or computer vision
- Experience with exploratory analysis, data visualization, and statistical modeling tied to practical decisions
Who this fits
This mid-level role suits a data scientist who can work with perception and systems engineers on performance evaluation. The position is hybrid in Boston.
From the employer
We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Data Scientist to join our Perception Verification and Validation team. The team is responsible for verifying and validating the perception stack of our autonomous driving system. The candidate will work closely with other data scientists, perception engineers, and systems engineers to develop datasets and metrics to quantify the performance of our perception system. The candidate will also help define key performance metrics that will enable perception engineers to directly measure the impact of new features on both the overall Perception stack as well as end-to-end system behavior.
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AccommodationsIf 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.
In this role, You will...
- Define key performance metrics that will help perception engineers to measure the impact of new features on the perception stack and the end-to-end system behavior
- Create and maintain datasets used to evaluate the perception stack and end-to-end driving performance.
- Analyze large scale metric results to identify patterns and insights about perception failure modes. Present results and insights to leadership.
- Design and implement statistical methods to quantify uncertainty in our performance and validation metrics.
Qualifications
- Master's or PhD degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related field
- Proficient using data query languages (SQL and/or Spark/scala) to quickly build complex yet efficient data queries at scale and using Python to build production-quality code
- Basic experience with autonomous driving, safety-critical systems, or computer vision systems.
- Proficient in exploratory data analysis (EDA) and data visualization to understand and present trends and their implications for the business.
- Background in statistical modeling and analysis; including experience making data-driven decisions that connect point and uncertainty estimates to business impact.
Bonus Qualifications
- Skilled at using AI tools to improve development efficiency and quality.
- Experience with experiment design and statistical comparisons (A/B testing, parametric/non-parametric statistics, etc.)
- Experience analyzing geospatial data
Follow us on LinkedIn
AccommodationsIf 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.