Staff Lighting Engineer

zoox

4100

Foster City, CA, USA

Posted on: 2026-04-30

Category: emobility

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Employment type:

Full time

Experience required:

Intermediate

Salary

Salary not provided

About the company:

Zoox is transforming mobility-as-a-service by developing a fully autonomous, purpose-built fleet designed for AI to drive and humans to enjoy.

As our Staff Engineer for Lighting, you will lead the development of our exterior and interior lighting systems. You will own everything from lamp assemblies and system controllers to their seamless integration into a brand-new vehicle architecture, directly advancing our mission to make cities safer, smarter, and more sustainable.

You will own these critical systems from initial concept straight through to the start of high-volume production. Operating in a lean, agile environment, you will serve as our technical expert, directing in-house engineering efforts and driving key relationships across our supplier network. If you are ready to leverage your engineering expertise and communication skills to disrupt a traditional industry, we want to hear from you!

In this role, you will:

Manage the end-to-end delivery of the Vehicle Lighting System (exteriors, interior, display, and projection) for the Zoox Vehicle Program, defining sub-system requirements and specifications to achieve structure, mass, GD&T, functional safety and optical performance (FMVSS108)

Lead cutting-edge lighting solutions by building proof-of-concept prototypes and driving rigorous feasibility reviews of the underlying EE and mechanical architectures

Develop and present robust design by applying a combination of design advanced principles and generic design rule for automotive lighting industry, proactively identifying potential design failures, and recommend robust engineering countermeasures

Drive the complete product lifecycle through critical build and validation milestones, owning design releases and vital technical documentation including DFMEAs and DVP&Rs

Lead suppliers across both build-to-print and co-development initiatives to seamlessly transition complex lighting modules into production

Qualifications

B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical, Optical, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, or a related field

At least 10+ years of automotive engineering experience, with 5+ years specializing in Tier 1 or OEM lighting systems

Proven success managing multiple concurrent projects through at least one complete program lifecycle

Experience defining Sub-System Technical Specifications (SSTS) for vehicle lighting, ensuring strict compliance with SAE and ECE regulations

Proficiency in design and optical tools (CATIA, Speos, PLM) with the ability to easily interpret technical schematics, mechanical drawings, and simulation reports.

Solid understanding of high-volume manufacturing (Class-A injection molding, die casting, welding) paired with strong root cause analysis and issue management skills

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