Senior Software Engineer, Motion Planning

Kodiak•San Francisco, CA

3d•Onsite

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 Senior 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

Requirements

A strong background in robotics, planning, optimization, and mathematics (MS, PhD, or equivalent experience)
At least 5 years of experience writing production-level C++ code
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

An interest in defining autonomy metrics and evaluation strategies
Knowledge of modern C++ (c++14 and newer) and version control systems (e.g., git)

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 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