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Perception Software Engineer

Mountain View, CA

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 hands-on Perception Software Engineer to join the Perception team. In this role, you will use your expertise to shape the perception stack as we scale, incorporating and developing state of the art algorithms and techniques. You’ll leverage advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) models and techniques to deploy and scale safe autonomous perception systems.

In this role you will:

  • Design, develop, and optimize perception and machine learning (ML) systems for autonomous trucking applications.
  • Implement and evaluate real-time perception algorithms for 3D object detection, tracking, and scene understanding using multimodal sensor data (LiDAR, camera, and radar).
  • Develop new deep learning architectures to enhance perception model accuracy and reliability under diverse driving conditions.
  • Integrate perception models into real-time autonomous driving stacks and deploy models to production systems running on autonomous trucks.
  • Lead development of offboard and onboard perception pipelines, including association evaluators, auto labeling frameworks, and ground estimation networks.
  • Design and implement large-scale evaluation tools for tracking and association, improving error diagnosis and reducing false positive braking events.
  • Conduct model optimization for real-time inference using TensorRT and ONNX and implement efficient multi-threaded data processing in C++ for perception modules.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with planning, safety, and simulation teams to improve pedestrian safety cases and vehicle behavior around vulnerable road users.
  • Design and execute experiments to analyze perception failures, build evaluation suites, and refine MLdriven improvements to perception performance.

What you’ll bring:

  • Master of Science degree in Robotic Systems Development, Robotics Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Computer Science or a closely related field.
  • At least ONE (1) year of experience in the job offered or at least ONE (1) year of experience in the following:
  1.  Computer Vision & Deep Learning
  2.  Designing and implementing image segmentation ML architectures
  3.  Image preprocessing and augmentation
  4.  Python and ML libraries, including TensorFlow, Keras, OpenCV, Scikit-image, NumPy, and SciPy
  5.  Train and optimize ML models, including hyperparameter tuning, dropout scheduling, loss weighting, and evaluation metrics
  6.  TensorBoard

What we offer:

  • Competitive compensation package including equity and annual bonuses
  • Annual salary: $187,741.00-198,000.00 per year. Total compensation at Kodiak includes base pay, equity, bonus and a competitive benefits package.
  • 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

$187,741 - $198,000 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.

 

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