Staff Software Engineer, Behavior Planning

Kodiak; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 240,000 - 265,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity and annual bonuses

Medical, Dental, Vision

Flexible PTO

Dog-friendly office

Free catered lunch

Free EV charging

401(k)

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Kodiak Robotics, Inc. in Mountain View, CA, is hiring a Staff Software Engineer for Behavior Planning to own end-to-end planning features, from design to deployment.

You will help the system make safe and efficient decisions in complex driving scenarios and collaborate across the autonomy stack. Ideal candidates bring deep experience in behavior and motion planning, strong C++ skills, and a track record of delivering production-quality autonomy software in near-production environments.

Qualifications

• Experience in behavior planning and motion planning for autonomous systems.
• Strong C++ software engineering skills.
• Experience deploying autonomy software in production environments.
• Ability to debug robotics behavior using logs and simulation.
• Strong collaboration across teams.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and improve behavior planning features.
• Own planning projects from problem definition through deployment.
• Debug autonomy behavior using logs, simulation, metrics, and real-world data.
• Define success metrics and validation plans for planning features.
• Write production-quality C++ software.
• Mentor engineers and participate in design reviews.

Skills

C++

Robotics

Autonomy

Production software

Tools

ROS

Linux

Job description

Staff Software Engineer, Behavior Planning

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. 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 Staff Software Engineer to help build and improve behavior planning and motion planning systems for autonomous driving. In this role, you will own planning features end to end, from design and implementation through validation, deployment, and analysis.

You will work on real-world autonomy behavior and help the system make safe, comfortable, and effective decisions in complex driving scenarios. This role is ideal for someone with strong planning experience who enjoys building production-quality autonomy software and collaborating across the autonomy stack

In this role, you will

• Design, implement, and improve behavior planning and motion planning features.
• Own planning projects from problem definition through deployment.
• Debug autonomy behavior using logs, simulation, metrics, and real-world data.
• Improve how the autonomy system balances safety, comfort, progress, and operational constraints.
• Collaborate with teams across Prediction, Controls, Perception, ML, Simulation, Systems, and Safety.
• Define success metrics and validation plans for planning features.
• Write production-quality C++ software.
• Participate in technical design reviews, code reviews, and architecture discussions.
• Mentor junior and senior engineers.

What you’ll bring

• Experience in behavior planning, motion planning, decision-making, robotics, autonomous vehicles, or related areas.
• Strong software engineering skills, preferably in C++.
• Experience building autonomy software in industrial, production, or near-production environments.
• Ability to debug complex robotics or autonomy behavior using logs, metrics, and simulation.
• Strong system-level judgment around safety, comfort, and deployment readiness.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills

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 salaryin 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

$240,000 - $265,000 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.