Senior Software Engineer, C++ Vehicle Experience

Zoox • Foster City, CA

1d • $235,000 - $285,000

About The Position

Zoox is seeking an experienced Software Engineer to join its Vehicle Experience team, which develops software that manages vehicle ride states and coordinates rider-facing features such as audio, lighting, vehicle controls, and infotainment tablets. The on-vehicle software is written in C++ and runs on resource-constrained vehicle systems. The team also delivers selected features end-to-end, including backend cloud services.

The role focuses on designing, developing, and optimizing software for a distinctive rider experience. Projects include improving mission handling as autonomous capabilities expand, personalizing the vehicle experience to riders’ preferences, and providing situational awareness to help riders feel safe and informed. The engineer will also help improve system performance, reliability, and quality while implementing and coordinating prominent in-vehicle features.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 8 years of software development experience.
• Strong expertise in modern C++ development on Linux systems.
• Experience with modern software development practices, including Git, CI/CD, and code review.
• Experience with automated testing and validation methodologies.
• Experience collaborating across teams on large, complex software projects.
• Experience leading 2–3 engineers in feature delivery.
• Track record of building user-centric product software.
• Experience collaborating with Product Management and UX designers and translating UX requirements into technical implementations.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of robotics, automotive, or embedded systems software development, including real-time constraints and hardware interfaces.
• Hands-on experience with Data Distribution Service (DDS) middleware in production environments, including performance optimization and fault tolerance.
• Proficiency with distributed systems in Java, Kotlin, or Python.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement real-time C++ software to manage autonomous vehicle ride states, passenger interactions, and vehicle control interfaces, while optimizing performance on embedded Linux systems.
• Architect and integrate mission-critical software components that process data from multiple vehicle sensors and systems.
• Implement robust error handling and failsafe mechanisms in accordance with automotive-grade safety standards.
• Analyze system performance metrics and telemetry data to optimize efficiency, troubleshoot issues, and inform improvements to ride management systems.
• Collaborate with vehicle software teams, cloud engineers, Product Management, Technical Program Management, UX Design, Quality Assurance, and Feature Integration teams to deliver integrated solutions.
• Lead 2–3 engineers in feature delivery.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior