Team Lead, Vehicle Technicians

Zoox•San Francisco, CA

3d•$45 - $62

About The Position

The Team Lead for Base Operations owns and evolves the operational backbone of Zoox’s Base Operations function. The role drives operational excellence, standardization, and readiness to scale across workshop operations, while ensuring the readiness, safety, and strategic deployment of the Robotaxi vehicle fleet. The Team Lead is a people leader, operational owner, and change driver responsible for implementing and improving Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), enforcing EH&S and 5S standards, and building a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement. In partnership with cross-functional stakeholders, the role translates company objectives and growth plans into actionable, scalable execution models. The role includes workforce planning and team development; ownership of SOPs and operational processes; improving throughput, vehicle uptime, and repeatability using data and root cause analysis; ensuring tools, equipment, parts, and facilities are ready; managing safety and compliance; tracking fleet-readiness, quality, and downtime KPIs; and partnering with Engineering, Test, and Facilities. The Team Lead also guides scaling initiatives, serves as the primary technical escalation point for complex maintenance and configuration changes, and communicates operational risks, constraints, and trade-offs to leadership and stakeholders. Compensation includes base salary, Amazon Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), and Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights; a sign-on bonus may be offered. The listed base salary range is $45–$62 per hour, with compensation varying by geographic location and level. Zoox offers benefits including paid and unpaid time off, health insurance, long-term care insurance, long- and short-term disability insurance, and life insurance.

Requirements

At least 6 years of hands-on automotive technician experience.
At least 3 years of people leadership experience, including leading teams in technical, automotive, or high-volume service environments.
High proficiency in CAN/LIN architecture, wiring diagrams, and soldering.
Proven experience implementing and improving SOPs, standard work, and operational processes in complex technical environments, with a record of leading high-output teams.
Strong understanding of EH&S compliance, safety programs, and 5S methodologies.
Extensive knowledge of automotive systems, diagnostic methods, parts, and tools.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, drive initiatives to completion, and work effectively in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
Willingness and ability to travel locally and nationally 50% or more.
Clean driving record.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree.
Technical trade school certificate or associate degree in automotive repair.
Experience with autonomous vehicles or a similar safety-critical industry.
Experience in R&D, testing, or pre-production environments, including engineering labs or prototype operations.
Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.
Experience supporting scaling operations, new site launches, or fleet expansion initiatives.
Strong understanding of EV architectures and high-voltage systems.
Experience using specialized test equipment such as NVH, vehicle dynamics, thermal, or durability equipment.

Responsibilities

Manage workforce planning, recruiting, onboarding, and performance management to build high-performing teams focused on safety and quality.
Coach and develop technicians and leads by setting expectations, providing feedback, and creating succession plans.
Develop and enforce SOPs for inspections, maintenance, and upgrades, and ensure documentation is audited and aligned with actual work.
Use data, root cause analysis, and standard work methodologies to improve throughput, vehicle uptime, and process repeatability.
Ensure tools, equipment, parts, and facilities are standardized, maintained, and available to meet operational demand.
Champion EH&S and 5S standards and maintain a clean, organized, compliant work environment.
Identify and mitigate risks, leading corrective and preventive actions for safety concerns, near misses, and process gaps.
Define and track KPIs for fleet readiness, quality, and downtime, using insights to drive accountability and prevent systemic failures.
Partner with Engineering, Test, and Facilities to align operations with company roadmaps, testing milestones, and changing requirements.
Lead scaling initiatives and translate high-level goals into plans for fleet growth, new platforms, and expanded facility operations.
Serve as the primary technical escalation point and oversee complex maintenance and configuration changes in accordance with quality standards.
Provide leadership and stakeholders with data-backed communication about operational risks, constraints, and trade-offs.