Collin Oakley

About Collin Oakley

From working hands-on as an engineering technician to leading teams shaping the future of autonomous mobility, my career has been an incredible journey across aerospace, urban air mobility, and advanced robotics.I began my career performing non-destructive testing and materials analysis, laying a strong technical foundation and sparking my fascination with how things work — and how to make them work better. My time at Lockheed Martin was like earning a second engineering degree: I was fortunate to have brilliant mentors who taught me to tackle complex problems methodically, always with an eye toward safety and innovation.I truly came into my own when I transitioned into the fast-paced world of startups. At Kitty Hawk and Wisk Aero, I built a materials engineering department and a new laboratory from scratch. I led FAA material qualification programs for fiber-reinforced epoxy composites and structural adhesives — experiences that honed my skills in technical leadership, regulatory strategy, and cross-functional collaboration.Craving even broader challenges, I joined Zoox, where I now lead a talented team of materials engineers in the quest to redefine urban mobility with autonomous robotics. We operate a state-of-the-art lab, characterizing materials and ensuring our designs meet rigorous standards for safety, performance, and manufacturability.My leadership style is rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and a drive to empower people. I’m passionate about mentoring engineers, building strong technical organizations, and turning visionary ideas into practical reality.Outside of work, I’m dedicated to my family, enjoy early-morning gym sessions, and still channel my childhood curiosity that started while helping my father fix just about anything around the house.I’m excited to connect with fellow innovators, technical leaders, and organizations tackling the next frontier of engineering and technology. Let’s explore how we can drive transformative solutions together.

Experience

1. Staff Materials Engineer

   Zoox

   Apr 2022 — Present

   I was hired to build the Materials Engineering function at Zoox from scratch—with a clear mission: deliver fast, confident engineering decisions through trusted materials data, testing, and technical leadership. I defined the team’s vision, structure, and growth strategy while aligning our output to company-critical milestones.I established a state-of-the-art lab equipped with 2 universal testing machines, DIC 3D strain mapping, SEM-EDS, FTIR, stereomicroscopy, corrosion testing (salt spray, galvanic), and precision sample prep tools. Our lab supports testing from coupons to assemblies across metals, polymers, adhesives, and coatings.To manage priorities, I implemented a Jira-based work intake system that drives clarity, traceability, and data-backed decision-making. It ensures our team stays focused on the highest-value work without assumptions or misalignment.I expanded the team beyond core materials, hiring Zoox’s first Failure Analysis Engineer—dramatically improving root cause analysis, supplier collaboration, and recurring issue resolution.I personally led adhesive characterization programs, created custom material cards for CAE teams, and led investigations on castings, forgings, extrusions, and joints. My deep expertise in adhesives, corrosion, polymers, and structural metals has been a technical asset across design, manufacturing, quality, and supplier engineering.I actively mentor engineers and interns, teaching the real-world difference between spec sheet values and actual design properties affected by processing, geometry, and flaws. This knowledge-sharing has helped elevate material literacy across the org.I’m proud to lead a team that goes beyond testing—we drive smarter decisions, reduce risk, and lay the foundation for scalable, cross-functional success.

Education

• University of Kentucky

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Materials Science Engineering

  2002 — 2007

Skills

• Manufacturing Engineering
• Continuous Improvement
• 3d Printing
• Heat Treatment
• Engineering Management
• Design of Experiments
• Manufacturing
• Powerpoint
• Earned Value Management
• Mechanical Testing
• Testing
• Brazing
• Welding
• Systems Engineering
• Materials Science
• Failure Analysis
• Additive Manufacturing
• Process Engineering
• Lean Manufacturing
• Materials
• Composites
• Process Improvement
• Engineering
• Aerospace
• Metallurgy
• Root Cause Analysis