Firmware and C++ Development Intern

Zoox’s internship program provides hands-on experiences with state of the art technology, mentorship from some of the industry's brightest minds, and the opportunity to play a part in our success. Internships at Zoox are reserved for those who demonstrate outstanding academic performance, activities outside their course work, aptitude, curiosity, and a passion for Zoox's mission.

As a Firmware or C++ Development Intern, you may be assigned to one of the following teams:

On the Thermal/Body team, you will design, develop, and test embedded software for body, thermal, lighting, and door functions of the Zoox vehicle, integrate supplier sub-systems into the Zoox software stack, and work cross-functionally with vehicle engineers, controls engineers, software engineers, validation engineers, and other experts to ensure a seamless and highly-automated experience for the Zoox vehicle.

On the Control Units team, you will develop, and test embedded software for ECU software platform bring-up. You will also work cross-functionally with electrical engineers, other firmware engineers, validation engineers, and other experts to ensure a seamless and highly-automated experience for the Zoox vehicle.

On the Vehicle Experience team, 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 Linux systems. 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.

Requirements:

• Currently working towards a B.S., M.S., Ph.D., or advanced degree in a relevant engineering program
• Must be returning to school to continue your education upon completing this internship
• Good academic standing
• Able to commit to a 12-week internship beginning in May or June of 2026.
• At least one previous industry internship, co-op, or project completed in a relevant area
• Ability to relocate to the Bay Area, California for the duration of the internship
• Interns at Zoox may not use any proprietary information they are working on as part of their thesis, any published work with their university, or to be distributed to anyone outside of Zoox

Qualifications (It’s helpful if you meet a majority of the following qualifications, but it isn’t a requirement):

• Strong embedded C/C++ programming experience
• Experience in modern C++ development on Linux systems
• Experience with embedded micro-controllers and/or microprocessors (ARM, PowerPC)
• Understanding of sensors and actuators
• Experience or knowledge of real-time embedded operating systems (ex: FreeRTOS, SafeRTOS, QNX, Linux, etc)
• Experience with modern software development practices (Git, CI/CD, code review), automated testing and validation methodologies and cross-team collaboration
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to analyze requirements and propose technical solutions
• Experience with Monitoring Tools (e.g., building/optimizing dashboards and alerts using Grafana)

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience with Autonomous Vehicles/Industry
• Experience with common lab equipment and data acquisition equipment (DACs, debuggers, power supplies, multimeters, etc.)
• Experience with one or more automotive communication protocols and stacks (CAN, LIN, Ethernet, Wifi, NFC, UWB, LTE, 5G, etc.)

Compensation:

The monthly salary range for this position is $5,500 to $9,500. Compensation will vary based on geographic location and level of education. Additional benefits may include medical insurance, and a housing stipend (relocation assistance will be offered based on eligibility).

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.