Operational Strength Attribute Lead, Vehicle Integration
About The Position
At Zoox, the Operational Strength Attribute Lead will help deliver safe, reliable, and efficient vehicle performance for fully autonomous robotaxis operating in dense urban environments. The role evaluates structural integrity, stiffness, strength, and fatigue resistance across vehicle architectures and components, including Body-in-White (BIW), chassis, suspension, closures, and battery enclosures. The position spans the product development cycle, balancing requirements definition and computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulations with physical laboratory and track validation. The lead establishes and cascades vehicle-level strength and durability targets, guides structural analysis and design optimization, correlates test results with simulations, and leads component- and vehicle-level validation. The role also directs investigations of structural failures, assesses manufacturing feasibility, reports program status, and shares technical practices with cross-functional teams and junior engineers.
Requirements
- Master's degree.
- 10+ years of hands-on experience in automotive Strength and Durability Engineering.
- System- and vehicle-level testing experience in laboratory and automotive proving-ground environments.
- Proficiency with durability simulation and analysis software, such as ANSYS, ABAQUS, ADAMS, or nCode.
- Familiarity with automotive requirements and validation sign-off standards.
- Excellent written, presentation, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to create visualizations of KPIs and program risks.
Nice To Haves
- Proficiency in tools and processes for managing complex projects, such as JIRA and Confluence.
Responsibilities
- Define and own robot-level strength and durability targets with internal stakeholders, and cascade those targets to system teams.
- Work with the CAE team to assess static strength, stiffness, dynamic loading, and fatigue behavior of complex mechanical systems.
- Collaborate early with cross-functional design engineers to develop practical, cost-effective structural solutions that meet vehicle attribute requirements.
- Analyze vehicle road load data and correlate findings with simulations to improve model accuracy and establish standardized methodologies.
- Translate customer usage profiles into laboratory test specifications, design accelerated fatigue life testing cycles, and lead component-level or full-vehicle validation programs.
- Lead cross-functional teams in delivering lifetime durability requirements for the complete vehicle.
- Direct laboratory teardowns, conduct root-cause analysis of structural component failures during physical testing or field service, and verify engineering countermeasures.
- Assess structural designs for manufacturing and assembly capability, including bolted joint slippage, door sag, weld performance, and stamping limitations.
- Provide regular Strength and Durability status updates and generate technical reports as needed.
- Share technical knowledge and communicate best practices and performance expectations to cross-functional teams and junior engineers.
Benefits
- Paid time off, including sick leave, vacation, and bereavement.
- Unpaid time off.
- Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights.
- Amazon Restricted Stock Units (RSUs).
- Health insurance.
- Long-term care insurance.
- Long-term and short-term disability insurance.
- Life insurance.
- A sign-on bonus may be offered as part of the compensation package.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
