Data Scientist Intern [Summer 2027]

The role

You will build statistical and machine learning models to evaluate system performance and analyze rare, high-consequence safety events. You will work with large datasets using SQL, Python, or Spark/Databricks, and work with systems engineers and safety leads on mission assurance decisions.

What you will do

• Build statistical and machine learning models to evaluate system performance and analyze rare, high-consequence safety events.
• Process and analyze large-scale datasets using SQL, Python, or Spark/Databricks to extract insights on vehicle behavior and operational risk.
• Apply advanced statistical methods such as Poisson processes, GLMs, Bayesian inference, point process models, or spatial-temporal modeling to evaluate safety-critical metrics.
• Work with systems engineers and safety leads to turn quantitative models into mission assurance decisions.

Required qualifications

• Currently pursuing a Master's or Ph.D. in Statistics, Data Science, Machine Learning, Computer Science, or a related quantitative engineering or scientific discipline.
• Enrolled in good academic standing at an accredited college or university throughout the internship.
• Expected to graduate between Fall 2027 and Summer 2028.
• Able to commit to a full-time, 12-week internship beginning in May/June 2027.
• Ability to relocate to the Bay Area, California, for the duration of the internship.
• Deep understanding of probability theory, regression, GLMs, hypothesis testing, and Bayesian methods.
• Strong fundamentals in statistical modeling and machine learning, including supervised and unsupervised learning, model validation, and metric evaluation.
• Proficiency with basic-to-intermediate SQL and Python, or alternatives such as Spark, dplyr, or R, for querying, cleaning, and modeling data.
• Ability to break down ambiguous operational or system questions into structured statistical problems and communicate findings to technical stakeholders.

Nice to have

• Experience with spatial statistics, space-time models, point process models, or causal inference.
• Experience querying, building pipelines for, and modeling massive datasets using Spark, Databricks, or cloud platforms.
• Familiarity with autonomous vehicles, transportation network companies, quantitative safety or risk modeling, or fraud and rare-event detection.
• Experience with AI-assisted data analysis, coding agents, or LLM-driven research workflows.

Before you apply

• Interns may not use proprietary information from this internship in their thesis, in published work with their university, or share it outside Zoox.
• You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply.

About the company

Zoox is developing the first ground-up, fully autonomous vehicle fleet and the supporting ecosystem to bring it to market. It aims to provide next-generation mobility-as-a-service in urban environments.