Senior Software Engineer, C++ Vehicle Experience

Zoox is hiring a Senior Software Engineer, C++ Vehicle Experience in Foster City, United States. It pays $235k-$285k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Zoox.

Level's read on this job

Little AI ●○○○ is how Level rates this software engineer role: aI is not part of the work.
The listed pay starts 41% above the typical software engineer posting on Level.
Tools and skills the posting cites include C, Linux and embedded systems.
Level lists 226 other open roles at Zoox.
The role was posted in the last few days.

AI in this role

Design and implement real-time C++ software systems for autonomous vehicle passenger experiences and ride state management.

clinux

embedded-systemsreal-time-systemssoftware-architectureautonomous-vehicles

Zoox is building the future of transportation. To do that, we’re also building an incredible crew—united by our mission, energized by our values, and driven by our purpose. We are looking for an experienced Software Engineer to join our Vehicle Experience team.

Zoox isn’t an updated car–it’s a whole new form of transportation–designed for AI to drive, and humans to enjoy. In this role, you will design, develop and optimize the software that powers a unique and premium vehicle experience to delight our riders.

The Vehicle Experience team is primarily responsible for the software that manages the ride state and orchestrates the rider experience–audio, lighting, vehicle controls and even the infotainment tablets. The on-vehicle software is authored in C++ and sits at the nexus of all the systems a rider sees and touches and as such, runs on the vehicle under resource constraints. This team delivers select features end-to-end, including writing backend cloud services.

The person in this role will be working on impactful projects like improving the vehicle mission handling as we add new autonomous capabilities, personalizing the vehicle experience to the rider’s preferences and providing situational awareness so the rider feels safe and informed, while consistently working to raise the performance, reliability and quality bar. In short, this position will be implementing and orchestrating some of the most highly visible features in-vehicle.

In this role, you will:

Design and implement real-time software systems in C++ to manage autonomous vehicle ride states, passenger interactions and vehicle control interfaces while ensuring optimal performance on embedded Linux systems.
Architect and integrate mission-critical software components that process data from multiple vehicle sensors and systems, implementing robust error handling and failsafe mechanisms while adhering to automotive-grade safety standards.
Analyze system performance metrics and telemetry data to optimize software efficiency, troubleshoot issues, and make data-driven decisions for improving ride management systems.
Partner cross-functionally with vehicle software teams, cloud engineers, Product Management, Technical Program Management, UX Design, Quality Assurance and Feature Integration teams to deliver integrated solutions that advance our autonomous vehicle technology.

Qualifications

MS/BS in Computer Science, Engineering or related field with 8+ years of software development experience
Strong expertise in modern C++ development on Linux systems
Experience with modern software development practices (Git, CI/CD, code review), automated testing and validation methodologies and cross-team collaboration in large, complex software projects
Experience leading 2-3 engineers in feature delivery
Track record of building user-centric product software, collaborating with Product Management and UX designers and ability to translate UX requirements into technical implementations

Bonus Qualifications

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

About ZooxZoox 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.
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AccommodationsIf you need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process please reach out to accommodations@zoox.com 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.

How we rate this

Senior Software Engineer, C++ Vehicle Experience at Zoox rates 35 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Little AI. AI is not part of the work.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Key facts

Senior Software Engineer, C++ Vehicle Experience is an open job at Zoox.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The listed salary is $235k-$285k a year.
The role is based in Foster City, CA.
The job was posted on October 29, 2026.
Seniority: senior.
Applications are handled by Zoox. Apply on Zoox

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Embedded SystemsReal Time SystemsSoftware ArchitectureAutonomous VehiclesCLinux

Also common in software engineer jobs at this level

AWS Kubernetes TypeScript React Docker JavaScript

Pay

This job starts at: $235k
Typical software engineer job: $167k

This posting starts 41% above the typical software engineer job. See software engineer jobs

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where embedded systems was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where real time systems was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where software architecture was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where autonomous vehicles was part of your work. What did you do?
Walk me through how you've used C in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Embedded Systems, Real Time Systems, Software Architecture, Autonomous Vehicles, and C. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.

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