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 Software Engineer with a focus on Onboard Infrastructure and Drivers to join us and take a key role in designing and implementing our core software infrastructure. You will work across multiple domains to bring together our embedded devices, AI, computing hardware, and sensors to create a highly reliable and performant system. This role will give you the opportunity to test and deploy complex robots for real customers.
In this role, you will:
- Collaborate with engineers across multiple domains to build the Kodiak real-time operating system that empowers our robots.
- Design and implement our core infrastructure and libraries using modern C++
- Build highly reliable and highly performant compute and network systems
- Work closely with next generation LIDARs, cameras, radars, and other sensors.
- Gather metrics, analyze, and optimize the operation of Kodiak autonomous systems
Qualifications:
- Robust technical background. BS, MS, or equivalent, in Computer Science or similar with 5+ years of experience building software infrastructure in an environment with significant scale and performance.
- Experience reading and writing modern C++ code.
- Familiarity with using Linux to build complex software.
Nice to have:
- Understanding of network protocols such as TCP, UDP, and PTP.
- Experience working with sensors like lidars, cameras and radars.
- Familiarity with high throughput storage and database systems.
- Knowledge of tools used for performance optimization like perf, trace tools, and memory profilers.
- Experience using Bazel for large and cross platform projects.
- A background in operating systems or build systems.
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
- Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability, Life Insurance
- 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
- 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
- 5+ years of experience building software infrastructure
- Experience reading and writing modern C++ code
- Familiarity with using Linux to build complex software
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.
