aimlroles

Sensing and Perception System Safety Engineer

Zoox zoox.com Open · verified Oct 22, 2026
Hybrid Foster City Full-time Mid-level Machine Learning Engineering

At a glance

Mid-level Machine Learning Engineering role at Zoox. Foster City · full-time · $170,000–$267,000 base.

SalaryStated by Zoox
$170,000 – $267,000
Base salary for this role, in USD per year, as published in the posting.
RoleMachine Learning Engineering
SeniorityMid-level
LocationFoster City
WorkplaceHybrid
EmploymentFull-time
Base pay$170,000–$267,000
PostedSep 4, 2026 · 6w ago
Role brief

aimlroles summary, based on the employer's posting.

What you'll do

  • Set safety requirements and performance measures for camera, lidar, radar and perception components such as sensor fusion and ML models
  • Coordinate technical work across software, hardware, operations, data science and verification teams to build safety evidence
  • Work with engineering partners to shape safety mechanisms using ISO 26262 and SOTIF methods
  • Assess field and simulation data to trace problems, choose follow-up actions and check assumptions
  • Help design next-generation sensing layouts, select sensors and use AI tools to speed analysis and automate repeat tasks

What you bring

  • A bachelor's or master's degree in a related engineering or technical discipline
  • At least three years analyzing safety-critical systems in automotive, ADAS, autonomous vehicles or another listed industry
  • Experience engineering complex, mission-critical systems with substantial fail-operational redundancy, particularly in sensing or perception

Who this fits

This role suits a systems or design engineer who can analyze safety-critical sensing and perception systems and work across technical teams. The position is based in Foster City and is hybrid.

From the employer

Zoox is on an ambitious journey to develop a full-stack autonomous mobility solution for cities and deploy such a robotaxi solution safely and reliably. The System Design and Mission Assurance (SDMA) team plays a foundational role in the company's success, responsible for constructing the safety case and fail-operational design for our autonomous driving robots before public road deployment. We are seeking a System Safety Engineer to perform safety analyses of complex hardware and software systems, specifically Sensing and Perception Systems. You will work across hardware and software domains to develop comprehensive system safety requirements and metrics that ensure safe, fail operational and reliable sensing capabilities for our autonomous vehicle platform.

In this role, you will:

  • Define safety requirements for sensing (e.g. camera, lidar, radar) and perception (sensor fusion, ML models) subsystems

  • Lead cross-functional technical projects across Software, Hardware, Operations, Data Science, V&V teams to ensure we have the appropriate data and solutions to support our safety arguments

  • Collaborate with perception, hardware, software, firmware and other systems engineering teams to design safety mechanisms by leveraging ISO 26262 (e.g HARAs, Functional Safety Concepts, etc.) and SOTIF (ISO 21448) standards

  • Work with partner teams to develop safe, fail operational, and cost-optimized, next-generation sensing architectures and guide the selection of next-generation sensors

  • Analyze field and simulation data to root cause issues, identify next steps or validate assumptions

  • Leverage AI/LLM tools to accelerate analysis and automate repetitive processes, improving team efficiency

Qualifications

  • BS or MS in a related technical field, such as Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Mechatronics, etc.

  • Experience as a Design or Systems Engineer for complex or mission-critical systems with high levels of fail-operational redundancy especially in domain of sensing and perception

  • 3+ years of hands-on systems, safety, or related engineering experience with a focus on analysis of safety critical high-integrity systems in Automotive, ADAS, Autonomous vehicles, Aerospace or Robotics industries

  • Effective communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Bonus Qualifications

  • Experience with sensing hardware, physics, limitations and tradeoffs especially in safety-critical applications and fail operational systems

  • Experience in the application of ISO 26262 (Functional Safety) and ISO 21448 (SOTIF) to L2+ ADAS and autonomous vehicles; Experience with hazard analysis, functional decomposition, validation, and verification

  • Experience with Python and/or Databricks for data mining, analysis and visualization

  • Strong analytical skills in performance metrics definition and system-level trade-off analysis

  • Understanding of modern perception stack, ML/AI systems and their requirements, and integration challenges

  • Experience using requirements management tools such as Polarion (preferred), DOORS or Jama

About ZooxZoox 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.
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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.