Senior Staff / Principal Machine Learning Engineer - Autonomy Behaviors

Zoox

Foster City, CA hybrid Until 8/25/2026 10+ years exp H-1B sponsor history First posted November 5, 2025 Last posted June 26, 2026

Job description

The Autonomy Behaviors team is responsible for producing our vehicle’s driving trajectory. As a Principal ML Engineer, you will lead the technical development of machine learning algorithms for our next-generation ML Planner. Your impact will range from delivering innovations for immediate milestones to pioneering exploratory projects. You will collaborate closely with teams specializing in Foundation Models, Perception, Simulation, and Safety Validation, in influencing our autonomy stack. Your role will look at problems in a way that crosses team boundaries to prototype new approaches that influence the long term technical direction of multiple organizations within the company.

In this role, you will:

Set the technical direction of ML development for the future of our Planner
Push the frontiers of imitation learning, reinforcement learning, and model scaling to develop new ML models for our onboard Planner
Identify and drive force-multipliers for ML development, including metrics, data, and training frameworks
Develop new methods to leverage Zoox’s Foundation Models into the ML Planner
Provide technical mentorship to the broader group of ML developers at Zoox
Collaborate with engineers across Autonomy Software, Simulation, System Design and Mission Assurance, and other departments to solve the overall Autonomous Driving problem in complex urban environments

Qualifications

BS, MS, or PhD degree in computer science or related field
Proven track record of technical leadership in large-scale AI organizations
Significant experience with training and deploying Deep Learning models to production
Fluency in C++ or Fluency in Python with a basic understanding of C++
Extensive experience with programming and algorithm design-Strong mathematics skills, 10+ years of experience

Bonus Qualifications

Conference or Journal publications in Machine Learning or Robotics related venues
Prior experience with Prediction and Planning for autonomous vehicles

About Zoox

Zoox 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.

Accommodations

If you need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process please reach out to [email protected] 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.

Compensation (from employer):
324000–492000 USD per year

About this role

Summary

Lead ML algorithms development for autonomous vehicle planning, collaborate on innovation, and mentor teams.

Job title

Senior Staff / Principal Machine Learning Engineer - Autonomy Behaviors

Experience level

10+ years

Minimum experience

10+ years exp

Industry

software

Location requirements

Foster City, CA, on-site, no remote work

Salary

$324k–$492k

Visa sponsorship

H-1B sponsor history

Management role

Skills & keywords

Required skills

C++PythonDeep Learningalgorithm designmathematics

Preferred skills

PredictionPlanningautonomous vehiclesroboticsresearch publications

Specializations

machine learningautonomous vehiclesreinforcement learningimitation learningmodel scaling

Locations

Structured locations inferred from the posting.

Foster City, CA, USA

On-site City