Staff Vehicle Manufacturing Engineer

Kodiak AI; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Annual bonuses

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Infertility benefits

Dog-friendly office

Free catered lunch

Fully stocked kitchen

Free EV charging

Headspace (wellbeing)

Job summary

Kodiak Robotics, Inc. seeks a Manufacturing Engineer to lead electromechanical manufacturing, DFx initiatives, and supplier coordination in our Mountain View, CA facility.

You will manage line bring up, fixture design, and automation while guiding cross-functional teams to scale production and improve yields. Ideal candidates bring 7+ years in manufacturing engineering, strong leadership and communication skills, and a proven ability to take complex systems from design to full production in a

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience of manufacturing engineering in a complex environment.
• Proven track record of managing complex system builds.
• Automotive, heavy industry, or aerospace experience.
• Hands on manufacturing experience including line bring up, test, fixture design, and automation.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills.
• Proven track record of taking a system from design to scale production.
• Ability to identify, root cause, and lead solutions for issues found on the line and in the field.
• Lead DFx efforts in conjunction with our in-house Design teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead electromechanical manufacturing for ruggedized compute rack assemblies, automotive harnessing, and electromechanical assemblies.
• Lead electromechanical DFM and best practices.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain and commercial teams to determine and ensure supply of components.
• Identify and evaluate suppliers for component builds.
• Coordinate documentation requirements with engineering, test and quality teams.
• Communicate program progress, milestones, and potential risks to leadership and overall engineering team.
• Evaluate and contribute to manufacturing line design and improvements.
• Lead all manufacturing troubleshooting activities including root cause analysis, yield improvement, and test/automation.

Skills

Manufacturing engineering

Line bring up

Automation

Root cause analysis

DFx

Leadership

Communication

Project management

Tools

Fixture design

Automation equipment

Root cause analysis tools

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 Manufacturing Engineer to act as a technical leader in our Manufacturing group. This position will be key in launching DFM and best practices at Kodiak.

In this role, you will:

• Lead electromechanical manufacturing for ruggedized compute rack assemblies, automotive harnessing, and electromechanical assemblies
• Lead electromechanical DFM and best practices
• Coordinate with Supply Chain and commercial teams to determine and ensure supply of components
• Identify and evaluate suppliers for component builds
• Coordinate documentation requirements with engineering, test and quality teams
• Communicate program progress, milestones, and potential risks to leadership and overall engineering team
• Evaluate and contribute to manufacturing line design and improvements
• Lead all manufacturing troubleshooting activities including root cause analysis, yield improvement, and test/automation

What you’ll bring:

• 7+ years of experience of manufacturing engineering in a complex environment
• Proven track record of managing complex system builds
• Automotive, heavy industry, or aerospace experience
• Hands on manufacturing experience including line bring up, test, fixture design, and automation
• Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills
• Proven track record of taking a system from design to scale production
• Ability to identify, root cause, and lead solutions for issues found on the line and in the field
• Lead DFx efforts in conjunction with our in-house Design teams

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

$155,000 - $220,000 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.