Software Engineer, Behavior & Motion Planning

Kodiak • San Francisco, CA

96d • $150,000 - $220,000

About The Position

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.

Requirements

• A strong background in robotics, planning, optimization, and mathematics (MS, PhD, or equivalent experience).
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package including equity and biannual bonuses.
• Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision plans through Kaiser Permanente, Anthem, and Guardian (including a medical plan with infertility benefits).
• Flexible PTO 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, One Medical, Gympass, Spring Health.
• Fidelity 401(k).
• Commuter, FSA, Dependent Care FSA, HSA.
• Various incentive programs (referral bonuses, patent bonuses, etc.).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Master's degree