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 seeking a skilled Staff Hardware Electrical Engineer to join our team in Mountain View, CA. The successful candidate will be responsible for product-level design and validation of electrical PCBs and electrical subsystems that are critical to the operation of our autonomous vehicles. The role will require knowledge of high speed PCB design, a deep understanding of power systems, and be familiar with automotive safety standards and requirements. The role will work collaboratively across software, electrical engineering, and integration teams to build safe, reliable systems.
In this role, you will:
- Design and validate custom PCBA electronics that are critical to the operation of our autonomous vehicle
- Perform schematic and layout design of medium to high complexity of analog and digital PCBs
- Responsible for ensuring risks are appropriately mitigated and designs are appropriately documented
- Hands on debug and bring-up of PCBs within a complex system
- Own full lifecycle of PCB design, including technical reviews, simulation, test, documentation, and product release
- Proactively suggest improvements in test methodologies and procedures to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the validation process
- Drive DFMEA analysis of electrical systems and lead cross-functional design trade-off discussions
- Lead root cause analysis and resolve issues in electrical systems
- Define stress test routines required to validate functional sections
- Validate thermal and power performance of circuits
- Develop and implement ISO 26262 methodologies to drive hardware design to meet ASIL goals
- Interface closely with other teams such as Software, Mechanical, Manufacturing, and with external suppliers
What you'll bring:
- BS or MS, or equivalent experience in Electrical, Mechanical, or Computer Engineering
- 10+ years of hardware development experience, ideally within the automotive, aerospace or a related industry
- 10+ years of experience with PCBAs, High Speed PCB Design, Harnesses, Power Distribution Units, Power Supplies, and automotive subcomponents
- Deep understanding of failure analysis
- Knowledge of mixed analog and digital circuits
- Experience with implementation and on-vehicle debugging of low level hardware buses such as I2C, CAN, SPI, and Ethernet
- Experience with high - speed communication such as PCIe and DDR
- Hands on. You are just as comfortable getting your hands dirty analyzing a subsystem in the shop as when using a keyboard
- Great communicator. You have experience writing clear, concise, and detailed documentation
- Passion. You are passionate about autonomous vehicles and their potential impact on humanity
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
- BS or MS (or equivalent) in Electrical, Mechanical, or Computer Engineering
- 10+ years of hardware development experience, ideally in automotive or aerospace
- 10+ years experience with PCBAs, high-speed PCB design, harnesses, power distribution units, and power supplies
- Deep understanding of failure analysis and root cause investigation
- Knowledge of mixed analog and digital circuit design
- Experience implementing and on-vehicle debugging of buses: I2C, CAN, SPI, Ethernet
- Experience with high-speed interfaces such as PCIe and DDR
- Experience developing and implementing ISO 26262 methodologies to meet ASIL goals
- Experience driving DFMEA analysis and leading cross-functional design trade-offs
- Hands-on debugging and bring-up of PCBs within complex systems; comfortable working in shop and lab environments
- Experience validating thermal and power performance of circuits and defining stress test routines
- Strong written communication skills and experience producing clear technical documentation
- Passion for autonomous vehicles and their impact
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.
