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 highly skilled AI/ML Intern with a solid grasp of Computer Vision and Foundation Models, to tackle real-world challenges in robotics. The perfect candidate for our team is someone who embodies a proactive, can-do mindset, tackling tasks with enthusiasm and persistence. We expect our interns to not only excel in their field but also to rapidly adapt and thrive in our fast-paced, innovative environment. This role is ideal for individuals eager to demonstrate their expertise and eager to grow in a cutting-edge technological setting.
In this role, you will:
- Design and implement state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms using robust, efficient Python code, ensuring high-quality evaluations and reliability.
- Lead the development of innovative deep neural networks to address key robotics problems, such as end-to-end learning, 3d scene understanding, 3D object detection, 3D world reconstruction, and self-supervised learning.
- Work with various sensor technologies like cameras, lidars, and radars to create and refine machine learning datasets, enhancing performance with growing data.
- Develop and manage automated AI flywheel, ensuring seamless integration and efficiency in the machine learning process.
- Work within Kodiak's advanced software ecosystem, pushing the frontiers of existing autonomous systems through continuous innovation and development.
What you’ll bring:
- Strong technical background. You are currently pursuing an MS or Ph.D. and have hands-on experience in designing and implementing deep neural networks; exceptional candidates pursuing a BS are considered.
- You are a skilled engineer with experience in applied AI research, Python programming, and strong problem-solving skills.
- You are passionate about solving real-world robotics problems, and you have ideally worked on autonomous robots before.
- A team player. You take ownership and work with the team to deliver exceptional results. You are interested in the performance of the entire system across engineering disciplines.
- Ability to build and iterate quickly. You enjoy working fast and smart, and you are comfortable in the earlier stages of developing an algorithm from scratch.
- Hands-on. You are not only passionate about ML research but also experienced working with production machine learning pipelines, from dataset curation to training and validation.
- Great communicator. You have experience writing clear, concise, and detailed design documents. You can enable your colleagues to leverage the ML models resulting from your work in their algorithms and systems.
Internship Program Details:
- Start Date: January 2027
- Our internship program is 12-16 weeks; the end date is flexible based on individual needs.
- Location: Mountain View, CA.
- Housing: Interns are responsible for housing.
What we offer:
- A fast paced environment where we work with talented, committed and supportive teammates.
- Competitive pay.
- Excellent medical, dental and vision benefits. A beautiful facility in Mountain View.
- We love our dogs, so we are a dog friendly office!
- Free catered lunch.
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
- Currently pursuing an MS or Ph.D.; exceptional BS candidates may be considered
- Hands-on experience designing and implementing deep neural networks
- Experience in applied AI research
- Python programming experience
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Experience working on autonomous robots
- Experience with production machine learning pipelines, including dataset curation, training, and validation
- Experience writing clear, concise, and detailed design documents
- Strong communication and teamwork skills
- Ability to build and iterate quickly on algorithms
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.
