Software Engineer, Motion Planning at Kodiak

Mountain View, California, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

17 Jun, 26

Salary

220000.0

Posted On

19 Mar, 26

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Robotics, Planning, Optimization, Mathematics, C++, Software Quality, Testing, Communication, Collaboration, Motion Planning, Trajectory Optimization, Optimal Control, System Modeling, Git, AI, Autonomous Driving

Industry

Software Development

Description

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 an experienced Software Engineer to join our Planning team and take a key role in improving the Kodiak Driver’s ability to safely and gracefully handle challenging road conditions. In this role, you will: Design and implement new approaches to help our trucks plan through challenging situations. Translate desired driving behaviors into algorithms, code, and cost functions that make the Kodiak Driver a safe, smooth, and polite road participant Predict the behavior of other actors in a way that's both accurate and improves driving performance Improve the end-to-end latency of the motion planning and prediction algorithms Build tools that enable us to leverage real-world logs to improve our algorithms Work closely with other teams to establish interfaces and requirements Invent cross-functional solutions to cutting-edge problems in autonomous-driving What you’ll bring: A strong background in robotics, planning, optimization, and mathematics (MS, PhD, or equivalent experience) 2+ years of software development experience writing production-level C++ High standards for software quality and rigor, and a testing-oriented mentality Good communication skills and a collaborative bent Proven ability to iterate quickly and work hands-on Bonus points if you have: Written software that has run on real robots Knowledge of modern C++ (c++14 and newer) and version control systems (e.g., git) An understanding of both classic and state-of-the-art approaches to motion planning, trajectory optimization, optimal control, system modeling, etc. A desire to collaborate with other teams outside of planning 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 California Pay Range $185,000—$220,000 USD At Kodiak, we strive to build a diverse community working towards our common company goals in a safe and collaborative environment where harassment of any kind is strictly prohibited. Kodiak is committed to equal opportunity employment regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law. In alignment with its business operations, Kodiak adheres to all relevant statutes, regulations, and administrative prerequisites. Accordingly, roles that carry more sensitive requirements may be limited to candidates that can satisfy additional scrutiny and eligibility for such positions may hinge on verification of a candidate’s residence, U.S. person status, and/or citizenship status. Should the position require, and Kodiak determines that a candidate’s residence, U.S. person status, and/or citizenship status necessitate an export license, bar the candidate from the position, or otherwise fall under national security-related restrictions, Kodiak will consider the candidate for alternative positions unaffected by such restrictions, under terms and conditions set forth at Kodiak’s sole discretion, or, as an alternative, opt not to proceed with the candidate’s application. If applicable, Kodiak may provide visa sponsorship for eligible candidates. We use a third-party AI tool (Endorsed) to assist in the initial screening of applications. As part of the evaluation process, we provide Endorsed with job requirements and candidate-submitted applications. Final hiring decisions are made by our human recruitment team, and no automated system makes the ultimate decision regarding hiring. Certain features of the platform may qualify it as an Automated Employment Decision Tool (AEDT) under applicable regulations. We began using Endorsed on January 1, 2026. You can review the independent bias audit report covering our use of Endorsed [here](https://endorsed.com/local-law-144). By submitting your application, you acknowledge that your application may be processed by AI systems as part of the screening and selection process. If you have any questions or would like to request a separate review of your application, please contact careers@kodiak.ai with "Separate Review Request" in the email subject line.

Responsibilities

The engineer will design and implement new motion planning approaches to help autonomous trucks safely navigate challenging road conditions by translating desired driving behaviors into algorithms and cost functions. Key tasks include predicting actor behavior accurately, improving end-to-end latency of planning and prediction algorithms, and building tools to leverage real-world logs for algorithm improvement.