Winter 2027 Intern, Motion Planning

Kodiak AI; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 9,000 - 11,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Dog-friendly office

Free catered lunch

Job summary

Kodiak Robotics, Inc. is seeking a Behavior Planning Intern to work on motion planning for autonomous trucks in Mountain View, CA.

You will receive mentorship from senior robotics engineers and contribute to a production‑level codebase, with emphasis on C++ and Python while solving robotics challenges. The internship spans 12–16 weeks, targeting juniors, seniors, or graduate students, starting January 2027.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a degree in a relevant field (e.g., CS, EE, ML).
• Strong C++ and Python programming skills.
• Solid foundations in kinematics, linear algebra and calculus.
• Experience with optimization and computational geometry is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Receive mentorship from robotics engineers and contribute to motion planning algorithms.
• Advance the autonomous trucking platform and deploy code on production systems.
• Work with industry-standard robotics tools and methodologies; focus on C++.
• Support implementation of decision-making and trajectory optimization components.

Skills

C++

Python

Kinematics

Linear Algebra

Calculus

Optimization

Computational Geometry

Autonomous Systems

Education

Pursuing degree in CS/EE/ML

Tools

Git

Linux

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.

Join Kodiak as a Behavior Planning Intern! As an intern on our Motion Planning team, you will work on developing core decision-making and motion planning algorithms that drive our autonomous trucks. Intern projects may include improving strategies for navigating complex highway merges, optimizing lane change behaviors, and refining low-speed behavior in industrial operations. This role offers a hands‑on opportunity to contribute to cutting‑edge AV technology while gaining valuable experience in real‑world autonomous driving scenarios.

In this role, you will:

• Receive mentorship from top‑level robotics engineers.
• Advance a state‑of‑the‑art autonomous trucking platform.
• Deploy code on autonomous trucks operating in the real world.Gain hands‑on experience with industry‑standard tools and methodologies used in robotics and autonomous vehicles.
• Strengthen your coding skills by working with a production‑level codebase, with a focus on modern C++.
• Work in a collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Design and implement solutions to complex robotics problems.
• Have potential opportunities for full‑time roles.

What you’ll bring:

• Field(s) of study: Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Machine Learning, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or other related fields.
• Are currently pursuing a degree at an accredited university.
• Juniors, Seniors, or graduate students.
• Strong C++ and Python programming skills.
• Strong kinematics, linear algebra and calculus.
• Ability to to solve basic optimization problems.
• Ability to solve basic computational geometry problems.
• Solid understanding of motion planning, decision‑making, and trajectory optimization for autonomous systems.
• Start Date: January 2027.
• Our internship program is 12-16 weeks; the end date is flexible based on individual needs.
• Location: Mountain View, CA.
• Housing: Interns are responsible for housing.

What we offer:

• A fast‑paced environment where we work with talented, committed, and supportive teammates.
• Competitive pay.
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• A beautiful facility in Mountain View.
• We love our dogs, so we are a dog‑friendly office!
• Free catered lunch.

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

$10,000 - $10,000 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.