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Zoo Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Zoo

Lead Manufacturing Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

About Us Zoo is building the next generation of hardware design tools redefining how hardware ... Our platform combines a modern, cloud-native CAD environment with AI-powered engineering workflows ...

Zoo

Senior Software Engineer, Frontend

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

$145K - $195K/yr

About Us Zoo is building the next generation of hardware design tools redefining how hardware ... Our platform combines a modern, cloud-native CAD environment with AI-powered engineering workflows ...

Zoo

General Application

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

About Us Zoo is building the next generation of hardware design tools redefining how hardware ... Our platform combines a modern, cloud-native CAD environment with AI-powered engineering workflows ...

Zoo

Senior Systems Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

$145K - $195K/yr

About Us Zoo is building the next generation of hardware design tools redefining how hardware ... Our platform combines a modern, cloud-native CAD environment with AI-powered engineering workflows ...

Zoo

Technical Customer Support Specialist

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

$60K - $80K/yr

... Zookeeper features * Investigate customer-reported bugs, gather reproduction steps, and partner with engineering to resolve issues * Escalate complex technical issues while maintaining clear ...

Zoo

Lead Manufacturing Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

About The Role As a Lead Manufacturing Engineer at Zoo, you will lead the development and operation of our manufacturing systems, machine shop, and hardware production workflows that power the future ...

Zoo

Senior Designer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

$145K - $195K/yr

You will partner closely with engineering and leadership to establish a world-class design standard across every touchpoint. What You'll Do * Own our next phase of design across Zoo's full ecosystem ...

Zoo

CAD Graphics Engine Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

$145K - $195K/yr

About Us Zoo is building the next generation of hardware design tools redefining how hardware ... Our platform combines a modern, cloud-native CAD environment with AI-powered engineering workflows ...

Zoo

Senior Designer

Los Angeles, CA

$109K - $117K/yr

You will partner closely with engineering and leadership to establish a world-class design standard across every touchpoint. What You'll Do * Own our next phase of design across Zoo's full ecosystem ...

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All JobsZoo Engineer JobsZoo Engineer Jobs in California

Zoo Engineer information

See California salary details

$58.7K

$89.3K

$151.5K

How much do zoo engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for zoo engineer in California is $89,326.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $67,600.00 and $103,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a zoo engineer do?

A zoo engineer designs, maintains, and repairs the infrastructure and exhibits within a zoo, ensuring the safety and well-being of animals and visitors. They often work with systems such as water, electrical, and climate control, and may need knowledge of engineering principles, safety standards, and environmental considerations.

What are some common challenges a zoo engineer faces on the job?

A Zoo Engineer often encounters the challenge of designing habitats that balance animal welfare with visitor experience and safety regulations. You must collaborate extensively with animal care staff, architects, and maintenance crews to ensure that structures meet the unique needs of various species. Adapting existing infrastructure to accommodate new exhibits or changing standards can present both technical and logistical hurdles. Although these challenges can be demanding, they also offer meaningful opportunities to solve unique problems and make a tangible impact on the well-being of animals and the overall operation of the zoo.

What is a zoo engineer?

A Zoo Engineer is a professional who designs, maintains, and improves zoo facilities and animal enclosures to ensure safety, sustainability, and functionality. They work with zookeepers, veterinarians, and architects to create environments that support animal well-being while enhancing visitor experience. Their responsibilities may include designing water filtration systems, climate control, and enrichment structures that mimic natural habitats. Zoo Engineers often have backgrounds in mechanical, civil, or environmental engineering.

Do zoos need zoo engineers?

Zoo engineers are essential for designing, maintaining, and improving zoo habitats, enclosures, and infrastructure to ensure animal welfare and visitor safety. They often work with architects, biologists, and maintenance teams, using skills in engineering, project management, and safety standards. Their role helps zoos operate efficiently and meet regulatory requirements.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the zoo engineer position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Zoo Engineer, you need a strong background in engineering (such as civil, mechanical, or environmental engineering), along with knowledge of animal habitat requirements and safety standards. Familiarity with design software like AutoCAD, project management tools, and relevant certifications (e.g., Professional Engineer license) are often needed. Strong problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and collaborative teamwork are essential soft skills in this role. These competencies are crucial for designing, building, and maintaining safe, innovative, and enriching environments that support animal welfare and public engagement.

What are the most commonly searched types of Zoo Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Zoo Engineer jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Zoo Engineer jobs in California? For Zoo Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Zoo Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Zoo Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Zoo Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Zoo Engineer job openings:
Zoo Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Zoo Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 71% Full Time, and 29% Part Time. Highlights an 93% In-person, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $89,326 per year, or $42.9 per hour.

Senior Software Engineer, CAD Interoperability

Zoo

Los Angeles, CA • On-site, Remote

$145K - $195K/yr

Full-time

Posted 21 days ago

Job description

About Us
Zoo is building the next generation of hardware design tools redefining how hardware products are designed, developed, and built. Our platform combines a modern, cloud-native CAD environment with AI-powered engineering workflows, helping teams design, iterate, and manufacture products faster than ever before. We are headquartered in Los Angeles, CA with both a local and remote team. We were founded and incubated by Embedded Ventures in 2021.
About You
We're looking for curious, innovative, and ambitious self-starters to join our growing team to help us bring our mission to life. We think you'll thrive on our team if you're:
  • Curious at your core, with an eagerness to learn and do things differently
  • Customer-focused, always thinking about ways to improve the user experience
  • Able to operate autonomously and work asynchronously, while also being an effective team player

About The Role
We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer, CAD Interoperability, who can help build the systems that convert native and proprietary CAD formats into Zoo's KCL, our new programming language for 3D design. You'll work at the intersection of CAD data extraction, geometry processing, and code generation, turning models from third-party CAD systems into structured KCL representations. This role is for someone who enjoys digging into complex CAD systems, working with CAD SDKs and APIs, and building robust import pipelines that preserve model structure and design intent as much as possible.
What You'll Do
  • Design, implement, and maintain import pipelines that convert native and proprietary CAD formats into Zoo's KCL.
  • Build systems for extracting feature information from CAD files and applications, including sketches, dimensions, constraints, parameters, feature trees, assemblies, metadata, PMI, and related design intent.
  • Develop extractors using native CAD application APIs and toolkits where interoperability SDKs are insufficient.
  • Translate extracted CAD structure, geometry, parameters, and feature information into KCL that faithfully represents the original model.
  • Build validation, testing, and comparison tools to measure conversion quality across geometry, topology, feature information, assemblies, and generated KCL output.
  • Handle edge cases across proprietary formats, CAD versions, modeling kernels, malformed files, incomplete metadata, and inconsistent vendor API behavior.
  • Collaborate with the file format, modeling, and product teams to improve Zoo's CAD import experience and expand support for real-world customer files.
What You'll Need
  • B.S. in Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
  • Strong professional experience in software engineering, ideally involving CAD, geometry, file formats, code generation, or data extraction systems.
  • Experience working with complex technical data formats, application APIs, SDKs, or translation pipelines.
  • Proficiency in a systems programming language such as Rust or C++, with comfort working across language boundaries and vendor SDKs.
  • Experience building automated tests, validation tools, and debugging workflows for complex technical systems.
  • Ability to work autonomously, investigate unfamiliar systems, and make pragmatic technical decisions in a fast-moving environment.
Nice to Have
  • Strong understanding of CAD model structure, including parts, assemblies, sketches, constraints, dimensions, features, parameters, B-rep geometry, and tessellated representations.
  • Experience with CAD interoperability SDKs such as HOOPS Exchange, CoreTechnologie 3D_Kernel_IO, Open Design Alliance, CAD Exchanger, Datakit, or similar tools.
  • Experience with native CAD APIs such as SOLIDWORKS API, Creo TOOLKIT, NX Open, CATIA CAA/API, Inventor API, or similar.
  • Experience with STEP, IGES, Parasolid, ACIS, JT, glTF, STL, or other CAD and 3D exchange formats.
  • Experience generating structured source code from model data, especially for DSLs or domain-specific modeling languages.
  • Familiarity with KCL or other programmatic CAD workflows.

The salary range for this role is provided below. The final offer will depend on multiple factors including candidate experience, skills, expertise, and market data. Compensation may vary by geography. In addition to salary, we offer competitive equity as well as a full benefits package which may vary by geography as well.
Salary Range
$145,000-$195,000 USD
Zoo is an equal-opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. The Zoo team is made up of incredibly talented and unique individuals from across the globe. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, Veteran status, age, or any other trait that unfairly targets a group of people. We encourage everyone interested in our mission to apply!

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