Operations Safety and Compliance Manager

As an Operations Safety & Compliance Manager, you will own the execution of safety and regulatory compliance across Kodiak’s operational environments. This role ensures Kodiak can scale commercial and testing operations safely, consistently, and in compliance with regulatory requirements.

This position is embedded within Operations and focused on execution, readiness, and accountability. You will translate established safety strategy, regulatory requirements, and company policy into practical, enforceable operational processes. The role partners closely with Operations leadership, Safety, Legal, People Operations, Fleet, and Training teams, while remaining distinct from Safety Engineering and safety strategy ownership.

If you are an operations-focused leader who thrives on building structure, reducing risk, and enabling teams to execute safely at scale, this role is for you.

In this role, you will:

Operational Safety Execution

• Own safety execution across Operations, including OSS, drivers, depots, yards, and on-road activities.
• Ensure operational teams adhere to established safety standards, policies, and approved safety frameworks.
• Represent Operations in incident reviews, providing operational context and driving corrective actions.
• Lead operational incident response from an execution perspective, including classification, response coordination, and post-incident follow-up.
• Identify recurring operational safety risks and partner with Operations leadership to reduce repeat incidents.

Compliance Ownership

• Own FMCSA and DOT Motor Carrier compliance execution for Kodiak, maintaining audit readiness at all times. This includes IRP, IFTA, HVUT (2290), UCR, MCS-150, and state-specific filings.
• Own driver compliance programs, including CDL qualifications, driver qualification files, HOS adherence and HOS logfile certification, medical certifications, and Clearinghouse requirements.
• Own drug and alcohol testing workflows for operational roles, including pre-employment, post-incident, random, and reasonable suspicion testing.
• Serve as the primary Operations point of contact for regulatory audits, inspections, and compliance inquiries.

Training, SOPs & Readiness

• Embed safety and compliance requirements into Operations SOPs, QRGs, and training programs.
• Partner with Training Operations to ensure training reflects real-world operational risks and expectations.
• Support new sites, customers, and operational expansions with safety and compliance readiness reviews.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Leads cross-functional alignment across Operations, Safety, Legal, and People Operations through clear ownership, sound judgment, and operational credibility.
• Partner with Operations leadership to define and track safety and compliance metrics that support execution and scale.
• Own operational compliance tooling workflows in partnership with Ops Systems and Fleet teams.

What you'll bring:

Experience:

• 5+ years of experience in operations, compliance, fleet management, or regulated operational environments.
• Prior experience owning safety or compliance execution in transportation, logistics, or industrial operations.
• Experience supporting audits, inspections, or regulatory reviews.

Background:

• Strong operational mindset with the ability to translate policy into executable processes.
• Experience working closely with frontline teams, drivers, and operational leaders.
• Comfortable operating in scaling, fast-changing operational environments.

Industry Knowledge:

• Working knowledge of FMCSA and DOT regulations applicable to commercial operations.
• Familiarity with driver compliance, vehicle compliance, and incident response workflows.

Leadership Mindset:

• Execution-focused leader who drives accountability through clarity and follow-through.
• Trusted operator who balances safety, compliance, and operational realities.
• Builds structure and consistency without adding unnecessary friction.

At Kodiak, you’ll help ensure operations scale safely and compliantly as autonomous trucking moves into real-world commercial deployment. Your work will directly protect people, enable uptime, and reduce operational risk while supporting Kodiak’s continued growth.

What we offer:

• Competitive compensation package including equity and biannual bonuses
• Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision plans through Kaiser Permanente, Cigna, and Guardian (including a medical plan with infertility benefits)
• Flexible PTO and generous parental leave policies
• Facility is located in Lancaster, TX - 3901 Corporate Dr Ste 300
• Office perks: dog-friendly, free catered lunch, a fully stocked kitchen, and free EV charging
• Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability, Life Insurance
• Wellbeing Benefits - Headspace, One Medical, Gympass, Spring Health
• Fidelity 401(k)
• Commuter, FSA, Dependent Care FSA, HSA
• Various incentive programs (referral bonuses, patent bonuses, etc.)