Sustaining Engineer

About the Role

Sustaining Engineer
Onsite in Foster City, CA | 5 days in office
Minimal domestic travel will be required
we are developing autonomous mobility solutions that require high fleet availability to support
testing, mapping, and operational readiness. The Level 3 Toyota Highlander fleet plays a critical role in
these efforts, and the Sustaining Engineering team owns the reliability and availability of these vehicles in
operation.
As a Sustaining Engineer, you will support the L3 test fleet by resolving issues across both OEM vehicle
systems and Zoox integrated AV hardware. This role requires broad ownership across electrical and
mechanical systems, with a strong focus on execution and fleet impact.
You will drive end to end resolution of field and manufacturing issues, from root cause through solution
development, validation, release, and implementation into the manufacturing line and service fleet. You
will work closely with Serviceability & Manufacturing Engineering, and cross functional partners to ensure
solutions are robust, scalable, and aligned with Design for Service (DFS) and Design for Manufacturing
(DFM) requirements.
Your work will directly improve fleet uptime, reduce downtime drivers, and improve reliability metrics such
as MTBF.
Responsibilities:
Own sustaining engineering support and corrective action development for the Level 3 Toyota
Highlander test and mapping fleet across OEM vehicle systems and Zoox integrated AV hardware,
from root cause confirmation through fleet wide implementation
Drive end to end resolution of vehicle and AV system issues, including diagnosis, troubleshooting, root
cause analysis, solution development, validation, release, and implementation into the service fleet
Lead design updates and improvements for Zoox and Toyota components and subsystems to improve
reliability, durability, fleet availability, and serviceability across electrical and mechanical systems
Author and manage Engineering Change Requests and Change Actions, develop and execute
validation and test plans, and lead fleet trials to verify long term effectiveness of implemented changes
Support retrofit campaigns, rework activities, installation trials, and field failure triage, partnering with
service, test, and operations teams to restore vehicles to service quickly and effectively
Partner with suppliers, Manufacturing, and Serviceability Engineering to deliver durable,
manufacturable, and serviceable solutions that meet Design for Service and Design for Manufacturing
requirements
Apply fleet data, technician feedback, and reliability metrics such as MTBF and repeat failure trends to
prioritize work, validate corrective actions, and prevent recurrence
Requirements:
BS in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related discipline, MS preferred
5+ years of experience in electrical and mechanical systems engineering within a product development,
manufacturing, or sustaining environment
Demonstrated ability to deliver subsystem level reliability or serviceability improvements using root
cause analysis, DFMEA, and validation testing
Hands on experience using tools such as Python, SQL, Vector CANalyzer, or Databricks to access fleet
data, parse logs, review telemetry, and support issue diagnosis and validation
Strong communication and documentation skills, proficiency with 3D CAD tools such as CATIA, and
ability to work cross functionally in a fast paced environment managing multiple priorities
Bonus Qualifications:
Experience with EV architectures, high voltage systems, or autonomous vehicle platforms
Background in Toyota or OEM vehicle development and release processes
Familiarity with electrical design tools and fleet data analysis or visualization tools

Key Responsibilities & Skills

• Sustaining Engineering
• Vehicle Reliability & Availability
• Root Cause Analysis
• Design for Service (DFS)
• Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
• Reliability Metrics (MTBF)
• Fleet Data Analysis
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Engineering Change Management
• Validation & Test Planning

Technical Skills

• Python / SQL / Databricks
• Vector CANalyzer / CATIA
• DFMEA
• Reliability Testing
• Validation Testing
• Engineering Change Request Management

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Automotive Engineering. Preferred: Master's Degree, MS in Mechanical Engineering, MS in Electrical Engineering, MS in Systems Engineering.

Industry Experience

• Autonomous Vehicles
• Automotive Manufacturing
• Electric Vehicles (EV)
• Fleet Operations
• Vehicle Testing & Validation