World Model Research Scientist - Physical AI

The Robot Age; Mountain View, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Kodiak is hiring a world-model research scientist for physical AI in Mountain View. The role focuses on model-based understanding of driving scenes and autonomy behavior for a self-driving trucking platform.

World models matter because they can change how autonomous systems predict, plan, simulate, and evaluate what happens around them. The candidate will bridge perception, prediction, planning, and simulation to advance autonomy in logistics environments.

Qualifications

• Research depth in machine learning, autonomy, robotics, or world models.
• Experience with large-scale model training, simulation, or embodied AI evaluation.
• Ability to turn research ideas into working autonomy experiments.
• Strong communication across research and engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Research world-model approaches for autonomous driving and physical AI
• Build experiments that connect perception, prediction, planning, and simulation
• Evaluate model behavior against real-world autonomy needs
• Collaborate with autonomy and product teams on how research informs the driving stack

Skills

World models

Autonomy

Machine learning

Robotics

Job description

What the role actually is

Kodiak is hiring a world model research scientist for physical AI in Mountain View. The role points at model-based understanding of driving scenes and autonomy behavior for a self-driving trucking platform.

World models matter because they can change how autonomous systems predict, plan, simulate, and evaluate what happens around them.

What you would work on

• Research world-model approaches for autonomous driving and physical AI
• Build experiments that connect perception, prediction, planning, and simulation
• Evaluate model behavior against real-world autonomy needs
• Collaborate with autonomy and product teams on how research informs the driving stack

What they are asking for

• Research depth in machine learning, autonomy, robotics, or world models
• Experience with large-scale model training, simulation, or embodied AI evaluation
• Ability to turn research ideas into working autonomy experiments
• Strong communication across research and engineering teams

Why this one is worth a look

Kodiak has a focused autonomous trucking domain rather than a generic robotics platform. That makes the world-model work more grounded: success depends on whether the research improves a vehicle that has to operate in high-stakes logistics environments.