Software Engineer, Controls (C++)

Kodiak AI; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Annual bonuses

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Flexible PTO

10 paid holidays

Parental leave

Dog-friendly office

Free catered lunch

Free EV charging

401(k)

Job summary

Kodiak Robotics, Inc. in Mountain View, CA is seeking a Software Engineer focused on vehicular motion control to join our Controls team. You will implement control and actuation strategies for driverless trucks and contribute to safety-critical software that manages braking, steering, and acceleration.

The role offers exposure to a modular controller design, data-driven feedback, and collaboration across planning, hardware, and systems teams to deliver robust vehicle control architectures.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience developing production-level vehicular controls software.
• Strong background in robotics, controls, and mathematics.
• Experience developing, testing, and tuning controllers for autonomous robots (trucks/cars).
• Focus on vehicle safety.

Responsibilities

• Implement control and actuation strategies for driverless trucks.
• Develop and test reliable safety-critical software controlling on-highway motion.
• Characterize vehicle platform including braking, steering, and acceleration.
• Develop models for onboard and simulated motion prediction.
• Specify requirements and document their implementation.
• Apply degraded operations capabilities for fail-safe driving.
• Collaborate with Planning, Hardware, Systems, and Infrastructure teams to advance architecture.

Skills

Vehicular controls

Robotics

Mathematics

Autonomous robots

Safety

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. In 2025, Kodiak listed publicly on the NASDAQ.

Kodiak is recruiting a Software Engineer who is passionate about vehicular motion control to join our Controls team. The role exposes the breadth of Kodiak’s controller, including dynamic control laws, safety limits, monitoring, feedback, and state management.

This is an opportunity to develop expertise in control theory, platform characterization, and software engineering. Kodiak supports a range of platforms, which has given rise to a cutting-edge modular controller design.

The role accelerates career development by putting driverless features on the road immediately and providing data-based performance feedback.

In this role, you will:

• Implement control and actuation strategies
• Develop and test reliable, safety-critical software that controls articulated trucks driving on highways
• Characterize the vehicle platform, including braking, steering, and acceleration
• Develop models for both onboard and simulated motion prediction
• Specify requirements and document their implementation
• Apply degraded operations capabilities for fail-safe driving
• Collaborate with Planning, Hardware, Systems, and Infrastructure colleagues to advance a robust vehicle control architecture

What you’ll bring:

• 2+ year of experience developing production-level vehicular controls software
• A strong background in robotics, controls, and mathematics
• Experience developing, testing, and tuning controllers for autonomous robots, ideally trucks, cars, or flying vehicles
• A focus on vehicle safety

Bonus points if you have:

• Characterized, modeled, and simulated robotic systems
• Facility with control theory, including stability analysis
• Written low-level drivers for software/hardware interfacing using protocols such as CAN or ethernet
• Developed efficient code running on resource-constrained embedded systems with a real-time operating system
• Experience with software design and implementation in safety-critical domains (e.g. automotive, aerospace, medical, etc)
• Knowledge of formal verification methods, writing requirements, and systems engineering processes
• Proficiency with Python
• Proficiency with MATLAB / Simulink

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

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

$145,000 - $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.