Senior Software Engineer, Controls (MATLAB)

Kodiak; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation package including equity and bonuses

Excellent medical, dental, and vision plans

Flexible PTO and generous parental leave policies

Dog-friendly office and free catered lunch

Well-being benefits including mental health navigation

Fidelity 401(k) with matching

Job summary

Kodiak in Mountain View, CA is looking for a Senior Software Engineer specializing in Controls. This role involves designing safe control strategies for autonomous vehicles and requires experience with MATLAB/Simulink and controllers for mobile robots. The ideal candidate should have a strong technical foundation and focus on safety. Enjoy competitive compensation, extensive benefits, and a dog-friendly office environment. Join Kodiak's innovative team transforming the future of transportation.

Qualifications

• Experience with automatic code generation from MATLAB / Simulink to embedded C / C++.
• Development, testing, and tuning of controllers for mobile autonomous robots, ideally trucks, cars, or flying vehicles.
• A strong theoretical foundation in controls, system modeling, and redundant architectures.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement control strategies using established and novel techniques.
• Develop and test reliable, safety-critical software for fully-loaded trucks.
• Characterize the vehicle platform for motion planning and controls.

Skills

Automatic code generation from MATLAB / Simulink to embedded C / C++

Development and tuning of controllers for mobile autonomous robots

System identification and modeling

Focus on end-to-end vehicle safety

Tools

MATLAB

Simulink

Job description

Senior Software Engineer, Controls (MATLAB)

Mountain View, CA

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. In 2024, Kodiak became the first known company to publicly announce delivering a driverless semi‑truck to a customer. Kodiak is also leveraging its software to develop, test and deploy autonomous capabilities for the \"U.S.\" Department of Defense.

We are looking for an experienced Controls Software Engineer passionate about safety‑critical motion control to join our Motion Planning & Controls team.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement feedback, control, and actuation strategies using established and novel techniques.
• Architect, develop, and test reliable, redundant, safety‑critical software that controls fully‑loaded trucks on the road.
• Characterize the vehicle platform (steering, braking, throttle/engine management, dynamics) to develop models for precise motion planning, simulation, and controls.
• Work on redundant actuation, degraded operation, and fail‑safe control problems.
• Collaborate with hardware, embedded systems, and systems engineering teams to deliver a robust vehicle control architecture.
• Create requirement specifications, implement features, plan testing, and document results.

What you’ll bring

• Experience with automatic code generation from MATLAB / Simulink to embedded C / C++.
• Development, testing, and tuning of controllers for mobile autonomous robots, ideally trucks, cars, or flying vehicles.
• System identification, modeling, simulation, and characterization of systems with complex dynamics.
• A strong theoretical foundation paired with practical experience in controls, system modeling, and redundant architectures.
• A focus on end‑to‑end vehicle safety.

Bonus points if you have

• Effective production C++ development.
• Expertise with hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL) testing.
• Experience with software design and implementation in safety‑critical domains (automotive, aerospace, medical, etc.).
• Written low‑level drivers for software/hardware interfacing using protocols such as CAN or Ethernet.
• Efficient code running on resource‑constrained embedded systems with a real‑time operating system.
• Experience with formal verification methods, writing requirements, and systems engineering processes.
• Drafted safety goals and requirements with traceability, following the ISO26262 process.

What we offer

• Competitive compensation package including equity and annual bonuses.
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision plans through Kaiser Permanente, Cigna, and MetLife (including infertility benefits).
• MetLife Legal Services, identity & fraud protection, hospital indemnity insurance, accident insurance, and critical illness insurance.
• Flexible PTO, 10 paid holidays, and generous parental leave policies.
• Office located centrally in Mountain View, CA with dog‑friendly policy, free catered lunch, a fully stocked kitchen, and free EV charging.
• Well‑being benefits – Headspace through Cigna, Calm through Kaiser, One Medical, Gympass, Spring Health through Cigna, and Rula (mental health navigation).
• Fidelity 401(k) with matching.
• Commuter, FSA, dependent care FSA, and HSA options.

Compensation: $190,000 – $260,000 USD (base salary in the SF/Silicon Valley location; actual starting pay considers factors such as location, experience, education, skill level, and performance).

We are an equal‑opportunity employer and strongly discourage any harassment. We commit to hiring based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected basis under applicable law.