Functional Safety Engineer, Software

Kodiak; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation with equity

Medical, Dental, Vision plans

Flexible PTO and parental leave

Dog-friendly office

Free catered lunch

EV charging

Fidelity 401(k)

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Kodiak Robotics, Inc. is hiring a Functional Safety Software Engineer to drive software safety case development for the Kodiak Autonomy System. You will coordinate with software teams, assess safety requirements, and ensure compliance with ISO 26262 across components and integration.

The role emphasizes collaboration, proactive problem solving, and deep knowledge of safety standards; located at our Mountain View, CA office with a competitive compensation package including equity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in software, electrical, mechanical or related engineering.
• Experience with functional safety assessment, preferably at the vehicle component level, applying ISO26262 to safety cases.
• Strong communication and collaborative skills; proactive problem solver.
• Experience with Part 4, 6, 8 and 9 of ISO26262; emphasis on Part 6 for vehicles.
• Knowledge of software configuration management and software quality assurance.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate bringing safety work products across the finish line per Safety Plan; assist software teams and prepare Independent Assessments.
• Specify software safety requirements and review safety-related designs.
• Review safety architectures, unit designs and implementations.
• Develop or review test plans and verification reports at unit and integration levels; support system testing from a software safety perspective.
• Perform software safety analyses to comply with ISO 26262 and review cross-functional work products.

Skills

ISO26262 experience

Software safety analysis

Safety case development

Cross-functional collaboration

Proactive problem solver

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

C++

MATLAB

Job description

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 a Functional Safety Software Engineer to join us and drive the development and management of our autonomous vehicle safety cases as we bring the Kodiak Autonomy System to market. We first published our Safety Report in 2019 and have based our development on systems engineering, the ISO26262 process and SOTIF principles.

In this role, you will:

• Facilitate bringing the software safety work products across the finish line, following the Safety Plan, reviewing inputs, assisting software teams in understanding the expectations and packaging the information for Independent Assessment.
• Participate in specification of software safety requirements.
• Review software safety architectural design as part of development
• Review software safety unit design and implementation
• Develop and/or review test plans, test procedures, verification reports at the software unit and software integration levels, given software safety requirements input on design from the software teams. Support system level testing from a software safety perspective
• Perform software safety analyses (e.g. dependent failure analysis) to comply with ISO 26262.
• Support Hardware-Software Interface development and derive safety measures.
• Collaborate with Kodiak internal and external stakeholders to review and assess work products for compliance with ISO 26262

What you’ll bring:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in software, electrical, mechanical or other related engineering and/or a Bachelor’s degree with professional experience in a high tech environment
• Experience with functional safety assessment, preferably at the vehicle component level, and have applied ISO26262 standard to guide the safety case
• Good communication skills with a collaborative approach
• Proactive problem solvers with hands-on experience
• Comfortable preparing safety argumentation
• Ability to structure project tasks and drive evidence development among teams
• Experience with Part 4, 6, 8 and 9 of ISO 26262. Special emphasis on implementation of Part 6 for vehicles
• Experience with system and software level verification and validation of vehicles
• Knowledge of software configuration management and software quality assurance
• Knowledge of C++ and Matlab is not required but is a plus

What we offer:

• Competitive compensation package including equity and biannual bonuses
• Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision plans through Kaiser Permanente, Anthem, and Guardian (including a medical plan with infertility benefits)
• Flexible PTO 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
• Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability, Life Insurance
• Wellbeing Benefits - Headspace, One Medical, Gympass, Spring Health
• Fidelity 401(k)
• Commuter, FSA, Dependent Care FSA, HSA
• Various incentive programs (referral bonuses, patent bonuses, etc.)

The pay range listed below reflects the base salary in our SF/Silicon Valley location, across several internal levels. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors including: work location, experience, relevant training, education, skill level and performance during interview. Total compensation at Kodiak includes base pay, equity, bonus and a competitive benefits package

California Pay Range: $130,000 USD - $190,000 USD

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.

In alignment with its business operations, Kodiak adheres to all relevant statutes, regulations, and administrative prerequisites. Accordingly, roles that carry more sensitive requirements may be limited to candidates that can satisfy additional scrutiny and eligibility for such positions may hinge on verification of a candidate’s residence, U.S. person status, and/or citizenship status. Should the position require, and Kodiak determines that a candidate’s residence, U.S. person status, and/or citizenship status necessitate an export license, bar the candidate from the position, or otherwise fall under national security-related restrictions, Kodiak will consider the candidate for alternative positions unaffected by such restrictions, under terms and conditions set forth at Kodiak’s sole discretion, or, as an alternative, opt not to proceed with the candidate’s application. If applicable, Kodiak may provide visa sponsorship for eligible candidates.