Senior Autonomy Engineer

Kodiak; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity and annual bonuses

Medical, dental, vision plans

Flexible PTO with holidays

Dog-friendly office in Mountain View

Job summary

Kodiak Robotics, Inc. is seeking a high-impact Autonomy Safety engineer to own safety strategy for autonomous trucking systems.

You will write efficient C++ code, reason from first principles, and collaborate with autonomy software teams to ensure robust safety in perception, localization, and planning. The role requires advanced degrees, deep knowledge of kinematics, dynamics, and probabilistic methods, and hands-on work across sensor fusion, ML, CV, and control systems.

Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in engineering, mathematics, statistics, or a related technical field.
• Deep understanding of kinematics, dynamics, and system modeling.
• Strong foundation in probability and statistics.
• Strong programming skills in C++ and/or Python.
• Hands-on work across sensor fusion, machine learning, computer vision, motion planning, and control systems.

Responsibilities

• Write C++ to search high-dimensional failure spaces at scale.
• Develop requirements for safe perception, localization, prediction, motion planning, and control.
• Identify failure modes and edge cases before they occur on-road.
• Perform hazard analysis, risk assessments, and fault tree analyses for safety cases.
• Lead testing campaigns: simulation, track, on-road, and hardware-in-the-loop.
• Pioneer new methods to meet safety targets.
• Drive cross-functional safety thinking across the team.

Skills

C++

Python

Sensor fusion

Machine learning

Computer vision

Motion planning

Control systems

Kinematics & dynamics

Probability & statistics

Safety analysis

Industry standards

Education

MS/PhD in engineering or math

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.

This role demands deep technical expertise, mathematical rigor, and first-principles thinking to ensure safety in autonomous driving. You will own critical elements of our overall safety strategy to deliver safe, transformative autonomous trucking systems.

The Autonomy Safety team is charged with an incredibly challenging task: how to make — and prove — that an autonomous truck is incredibly safe (fewer than one fatal collision per 10⁸ hours). There is no textbook for this problem. You will be part of a small, high-impact team working at the frontier of safety, leveraging existing methods and pioneering new ones when needed.

What You'll Do:

• Write C++ to efficiently search high-dimensional failure spaces at scale
• Use first-principles analysis to develop requirements for safe perception, localization, prediction, motion planning, and control, collaborating directly with the Autonomy Software teams building those systems
• Identify failure modes and edge cases that expose weaknesses in our system before they appear in on-road environments.
• Perform hazard analysis, risk assessments, and fault tree analysis that feed directly into our safety case and drive system design decisions
• Provide analysis to support complex autonomy system design trade-offs that affect safety and performance
• Lead and support structured testing campaigns like simulation, track, on-road, and hardware-in-the-loop to validate that our safety claims hold
• Pioneer new methods when existing ones aren't enough to hit our safety targets
• Drive safety thinking cross-functionally — this team doesn't sit in a corner; it shapes how everyone builds

What you’ll bring:

• M.S. or Ph.D. in engineering, mathematics, statistics, or a related technical field
• Deep understanding of kinematics, dynamics, and system modeling
• Strong foundation in probability and statistics
• Strong programming skills in C++ and/or Python
• Hands-on work across one or more of the following:
  • Sensor fusion and object tracking (e.g., Kalman filtering, particle filters, least squares estimation)
  • Machine learning methods (e.g., neural networks, SVMs, kNN, regression models, decision trees)
  • Classical computer vision (e.g., edge/corner detection, camera calibration, optics)
  • Motion planning (e.g., A*, RRT, potential fields)
  • Control systems (e.g., PID, nonlinear control, model predictive control)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, particularly on technical topics
• Safety analysis methodologies: FTA, FMEA, HARA
• Safety-critical standards: ISO 26262, DO-178, IEC 61508, SOTIF, UL 4600
• Redundancy strategies and fault-tolerant system design

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
• Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability, Life Insurance
• 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
• 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: $190,000 USD - $230,000 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.

We use a third-party AI tool (Endorsed) to assist in the initial screening of applications. As part of the evaluation process, we provide Endorsed with job requirements and candidate-submitted applications. Final hiring decisions are made by our human recruitment team, and no automated system makes the ultimate decision regarding hiring. Certain features of the platform may qualify it as an Automated Employment Decision Tool (AEDT) under applicable regulations. We began using Endorsed on January 1, 2026. You can review the independent bias audit report covering our use of Endorsed https://endorsed.com/local-law-144. By submitting your application, you acknowledge that your application may be processed by AI systems as part of the screening and selection process. If you have any questions or would like to request a separate review of your application, please contact [e-mail] with "Separate Review Request" in the email subject line.