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.
Kodiak Robotics is developing autonomous vehicles. Our team is highly experienced and comes from the leading technology companies in the space.
We are looking for a mechanical analysis & test engineer (FEA/CAE) to join us and develop autonomous hardware.
In this role, you will:- Perform assembly-level mechanical FEA simulations in ANSYS
- Simulation types include non-linear static and dynamic analyses such as modal, shock, and random vibration
- Identify potential failure modes and provide actionable design guidance
- Create reports of analysis results and present to cross-functional teams
- Conduct or supervise testing and correlate data to FEA models
- Write test procedures for both internal and external use
- Develop custom fixtures for testing and support maintenance of test equipment
- Support root-cause analysis of issues found in the field
- Manage relationships with testing facilities, suppliers, and other external partners
- Travel: Occasional travel required to conduct or supervise testing
- Strong technical background. BS or MS, or equivalent experience, in Mechanical Engineering with 3+ years of experience analyzing mechanical systems with FEA in the automotive, aerospace or related industry.
- Strong FEA experience with packages such as Ansys and/or SolidWorks with strong fundamentals in solid mechanics, structural dynamics and materials science.
- Bonus Experience: thermal and/or CFD simulation skills
- Strong CAD experience with packages such as SolidWorks, NX, Catia, and/or Creo.
- Experience with data acquisition systems with accelerometers, thermocouples, and strain gauges.
What we offer:
- Competitive compensation package including equity and biannual bonuses
- Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision plans through Kaiser Permanente, Anthem, and Guardian (including a medical plan with infertility benefits)
- Flexible PTO 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
- 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.)
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
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience
- 3+ years of experience analyzing mechanical systems with FEA in the automotive, aerospace, or related industry
- Strong FEA experience with ANSYS and/or SolidWorks
- Strong fundamentals in solid mechanics, structural dynamics, and materials science
- Strong CAD experience with SolidWorks, NX, CATIA, and/or Creo
- Experience with data acquisition systems using accelerometers, thermocouples, and strain gauges
- Thermal and/or CFD simulation skills
Kodiak Robotics Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Kodiak Robotics and has not been reviewed or approved by Kodiak Robotics.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered market-competitive for core engineering roles, with role postings indicating strong senior bands and offers aligned to autonomy peers. Salary ranges visible on listings reinforce competitiveness for experienced technical hires.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity grants are commonly included with standard multi‑year vesting, and listings frequently note salary plus bonus and equity as part of offers. This makes ownership a regular component of total rewards for technical hires.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage includes medical, dental, and vision alongside life and short‑/long‑term disability, with FSA/HSA options available. Wellness partners such as mental‑health and primary‑care services are highlighted alongside core plans.
Kodiak Robotics Insights
What We Do
Kodiak Robotics is an autonomous technology company redefining the long-haul trucking industry. We believe self-driving trucks will be the first economically viable application of autonomous vehicle technology. We founded Kodiak in the spring of 2018 to make that belief a reality. Safety is our top priority. We are taking a safe and responsible approach to developing and testing our technology. We are proud to work with some of the best in the business. We’ve built a world class team of technologists from leading autonomous driving programs who know the industry inside and out. Our combined experience and commitment to the vision will allow us to put self-driving technology on the road in the safest and most effective way.
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