Senior/Staff CNC Programmer
Zoox · Foster City, CA
- Level
- Technician
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Industry
- Automotive
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A technician-level manufacturing role at Zoox (automotive) in Foster City, CA.
- They ask for
- 10+ years
- Tools it names
- GD&T, Robotics, CNC, Machining, Tooling, SolidWorks
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Manufacturing Technician roles in California: typical posted base $56k–$78k.
Median of the low and high ends of 10 live postings that list pay, out of 118 manufacturing technician openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 85 other live manufacturing postings in California.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 4+)
Typical $84k–$121k, from 13 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 4+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Tooling 37%
- ✓ Machining 35%
- Team leadership 35%
- ✓ CNC 35%
- New product launch 23%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for SolidWorks, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at Zoox
We found 5 people at this company and state: 2 in this kind of role, 3 leaders, plus 1 likely hiring manager. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Joshua → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Zoox in Foster City
13 other open roles at this site · 5 people we found in manufacturing roles at Zoox.
- Senior Quality Engineer · Quality · Senior
- Seating and Passive Safety HW Validation Engineer · Quality
- Engineering Manager, ML Performance Optimization · Manufacturing · Manager
- Crash Safety Test and Validation Engineer · Quality
- Validation Engineer, Feature Integration · Quality
- Senior Supplier Quality Engineer · Quality · Senior
Full description from ZooxAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
In this role, you will
Manufacture parts from one-off prototypes to short-run production in a variety of materials
Extensive experience as a 5-axis CNC mill machinist
10+ years of experience as a CNC programmer using state-of-the-art CAM systems with 3D simulation and collision detection capabilities
Familiarity with Heidenhain and Siemens CNC controls
Specific experience with HyperMILL CAM software
Knowledge of JIRA, Solidworks, CATIA, 3DX, ENOVIA
Familiarity with CNC turning machines, tooling, and processes
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
As a CNC Programmer at Zoox, you'll interface with a broad range of Engineers and Craftspeople to build hardware systems for our Vehicle, Compute, Sensor, and testing fleets. Core values include a positive outlook, good interpersonal skills, and a desire to affect a company genuinely trying to change the world. Familiarity with names like Hermle, DMG Mori, Siemens, Heidenhain, Lang, Haimer, and Robotic Solutions will give you a head start at Zoox.
Your experience in a professional and well-equipped CNC shop and positive outlook in a team environment will serve equally well on the path to success. Our team encompasses everything from prototyping to manufacturing operations. Career growth will be at your disposal. We serve an entire company and often volunteer to step outside our disciplines to help all who ask. If this sounds like the position you're looking for, we look forward to meeting you.
Program 5-axis CNC machines using HyperMILL
Design and machining of fixtures to hold components during machining operations
Setup and teardown of CNC machines
Interface with people across the company to acquire the correct set of data needed to make components
Assist in ordering materials and tools for the machine shop
Develop and maintaining digital tooling and work holding databases
Work with engineering teams to provide DFM feedback for machined components
Strong CAD skills
Understand and interpret GD&T and dimensional drawings
Ability to troubleshoot and provide solutions to challenging problems
Bonus