Build Functional Verification Technician

Kodiak; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation package

Medical, Dental, and Vision plans

Flexible PTO and paid holidays

Dog-friendly office

Wellbeing Benefits

Job summary

Kodiak in Detroit is seeking a Build Functional Verification Technician to troubleshoot and maintain mechanical and software systems in autonomous trucks. The ideal candidate has over 5 years of experience in the automotive industry and a strong technical background.

The role offers competitive compensation, excellent benefits, including medical and dental plans, and a supportive work environment. A hands-on attitude and willingness to work in various conditions are essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a technician in autonomous or automotive industries.
• Experience with electrical/harnessing standards and manufacturing.
• Ability to lift and move weights as required for mechanical repairs.
• Willingness to work in all weather conditions.

Responsibilities

• Troubleshoot and debug issues in the field with subsystems.
• Develop and perform corrective actions for failure modes.
• Lead and support engineering test activities.

Skills

Technical background

Experience in automotive or related industry

Strong communication skills

Hands-on experience

Tools

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Build Functional Verification Technician

Kodiak Robotics, Inc. was founded in 2018 and has become a leader in autonomous ground transportation committed to a safer and more efficient future for all. The company has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) powered technology stack purpose‑built for commercial trucking and the public sector. The company delivers freight daily for its customers across the southern United States using its autonomous technology. In 2024, Kodiak became the first known company to publicly announce delivering a driverless semi‑truck to a customer. Kodiak is also leveraging its commercial self‑driving software to develop, test and deploy autonomous capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense.

We are looking for an experienced Build Functional Verification Technician who is highly motivated, familiar with complex systems and has experience working cross functionally with operations and engineering teams.

In this role, you will:

• Troubleshoot and debug issues in the field, and trace failures to correct subsystems
• Develop and perform corrective and preventative actions for top failure modes
• Hands‑on work with mechanical, electrical, and software systems to diagnose, repair, and root cause issues seen across our fleet.
• Maintain, repair and upfit mechanical, electrical and software systems to contribute and improve to fleetwide uptime
• Lead and support engineering test activities by applying engineering practices, principles, and various analysis tools to achieve performance targets and standards
• Provide feedback and inspect hardware quality at various levels and resolve manufacturing/build issues.
• Create and review documentation such as drawings, schematics, build instructions, and incoming hardware quality tests/checks

What you’ll bring:

• Strong technical background, 5+ years of experience as a technician in the autonomous, automotive, aerospace or related industry
• Experience with electrical/harnessing standards and manufacturing
• Self‑motivated with a desire to improve
• Strong communication – you consider communication as one of your best assets
• Proven ability to build and iterate quickly
• You have experienced product development in all stages and feel comfortable in the earlier stages – moving from zero to one. Hands on
• You are just as comfortable with a wrench as a keyboard. You have a deep understanding of manufacturing processes for both low and high volume production.
• Ability to regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 45 pounds.
• Willingness to work in a traditional shop setting or outdoors in all weather conditions during the day/night
• Ability and willingness to climb ladders, stand, crouch, kneel and generally maneuver as required to repair mechanical and electrical equipment in, on, and around trucks.

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience with scripting and data analysis languages such as Python or MATLAB
• Experience and knowledge around instrumentation using a wide variety of sensors (strain gauges, thermocouples, load cells, etc)
• You are confident with automotive electronics and are familiar with communication protocols and tools such as Ethernet, CAN, LIN, 100BASE‑T1

What we offer:

• Competitive compensation package including equity and annual bonuses
• Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision plans through Kaiser Permanente, Cigna and MetLife (including a medical plan with infertility benefits)
• MetLife Legal Services, Identity & Fraud Protection, Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Accident Insurance, & Critical Illness Insurance
• Flexible PTO, 10 paid holidays, and generous parental leave policies
• Our office is centrally located in Mountain View, CA
• Office perks: dog-friendly, free catered lunch, a fully stocked kitchen, and free EV charging
• Wellbeing Benefits - Headspace through Cigna, Calm through Kaiser, One Medical, Gympass, Spring Health through Cigna, Rula (mental health navigation)
• Fidelity 401(k)
• Commuter, FSA, Dependent Care FSA, HSA

At Kodiak, we strive to build a diverse community working towards our common company goals in a safe and collaborative environment where harassment of any kind is strictly prohibited. Kodiak is committed to equal opportunity employment regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law.