Software Engineer - Mission Planning
Hybrid Foster City Full-time Mid-level Software Engineering
At a glance
Mid-level Software Engineering role at Zoox. Foster City · full-time · $163,000–$263,000 base.
SalaryStated by Zoox
$163,000 – $263,000
Base salary for this role, in USD per year, as published in the posting.
This role, from ZooxOur estimate for the market: $190,000–$215,000Median $190,500
The range includes the market median of $190,500 for mid-level software engineering roles in Foster City.
Worked out from 5 postings that stated pay, median $190,500. Last updated Oct 13, 2026.
RoleSoftware Engineering
SeniorityMid-level
LocationFoster City
WorkplaceHybrid
EmploymentFull-time
Base pay$163,000–$263,000
PostedJan 9, 2026 · 9mo ago
Role brief
techroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Build mission-planning algorithms using graph search and connect them with behavioral planning
- Bring your applications onto the robot, test them there, then use what you learn to improve them
- Coordinate software integration across mission planning, behavioral planning, cloud services and other teams
- Shape the team's near- and long-term technical plans and contribute to wider technical direction
What you bring
- A computer science, robotics or related degree, plus at least two years of industry experience
- Strong C++ skills and practical familiarity with graph-search methods such as A* or Dijkstra
- Ability to represent real-world decisions with MDPs or related models, including uncertainty and constraints
- Experience writing software that shipped in robotics, drones, consumer devices or automotive
Who this fits
This role suits a mid-level engineer who wants to work close to a robot platform and see their software run on the robot. It is based in Foster City and listed as hybrid.
From the employer
The Mission Planner team at Zoox is responsible for creating high-level routes for our autonomous vehicles to transport passengers to their destinations. You will work closely with our Cloud Services team to facilitate pick-up and drop-off requests, along with live traffic data among other inputs. You will also integrate closely with the decision-making and trajectory planning and controls teams to allow dynamic planning. This team will enable the core ability for our vehicles to choose the best routes through cities and adapt in real-time.
We are seeking an engineer who is passionate about tackling the complexities of mission planning in dynamic cities. You should be driven to contribute innovative solutions to architecture and design and take responsibility for significant software components. If you like to work close to the robot platform and enjoy experiencing your developed software in the robot, we would like to hear from you.
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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.
In this role, you will:
- Develop mission planner algorithms, including graph search and integration with behavioral planning
- Integrate and test your developed applications in the robot, learn and make improvements.
- Work collaboratively with passionate team members to support the integration of software components from all teams throughout Zoox.
- Set the short and long term technical direction for the team and collaborate on the broader company-wide directions
- Coordinate cross-functional initiatives with other teams across Mission Planning, Behavioral Planning and Cloud Services.
Qualifications
- BS/MS in Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field and 2+ years of industry experience
- Programming skills in C++
- Understanding and experience with a variety of graph search techniques (A*, D*, Dijkstra …)
- Model real-world problems using Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) or related frameworks
- Develop scalable solutions for sequential decision-making under uncertainty and constraints
- Demonstrated ability to write code for a shipped product (commercial robotics, drones, consumer devices, automotive)
Bonus Qualifications
- PhD in computer science or related field
- Experience with autonomous robots
Follow us on LinkedIn
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.