Sensor Hardware Engineer

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 Sensor Hardware Engineer to join us and help develop world-class sensor systems for autonomous trucking. This role will focus on optimizing the perception sensor architecture and data pipeline via test, analysis, and cooperation with suppliers.

In This Role You Will:

• Collaborate with external partners to choose and optimize performance of autonomous driving sensors such as lidar, radar, camera, and ultrasonics
• Analyze on-road data to understand trends in sensor performance and prioritize efforts to optimize and debug
• Develop and execute hands-on sensor tests to help define vehicle architecture and improve perception performance
• Develop sensor field of view requirements and test new vehicle platforms against those requirements
• Research and evaluate the latest in autonomous-driving sensor technology
• Assist with sensor integration onto the vehicle and debug issues that arise
• Manage relationships with contract manufacturers, suppliers, and external partners
• Work with the perception team to identify, understand, and solve sensor performance issues
• Travel (<15%) to field locations to support testing in the operational design domain

What you'll Bring:

• Strong technical background. BS or MS, or equivalent experience, in Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related fields with 5 years of experience in the automotive, aerospace or related industry
• Experience with defining autonomous-driving sensing systems or diving deep into one of the sensing modalities
• Software experience (especially for data analysis) is a plus but not required
• A team leader. Whether formally or informally, you have previously played the lead role on several projects. You take ownership and drive the team to deliver exceptional results
• Proven ability to build and iterate quickly
• You have experienced product development in all of its stages and are comfortable in the earlier stages - moving from zero to one
• Hands on. You are just as comfortable with a wrench as a keyboard
• You have a deep understanding of manufacturing processes for both low and high volume production
• Great communicator. You have experience writing clear, concise, and detailed documentation
• You are skilled in leading and participating in cross-functional design reviews

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$165,000-$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.