Kodiak AI, Inc. (Nasdaq: KDK), founded in 2018, is a leader in Physical AI, developing driverless technology that powers machines that move. Its Kodiak Driver is a vehicle-agnostic autonomous driving system that combines AI-powered software with modular hardware. Today it operates in long-haul trucking, industrial trucking, and defense. In 2024, Kodiak launched commercial Driver-as-a-Service operations with no one in the cab, and plans to launch driverless long-haul service between Dallas and Houston by the end of 2026.

Kodiak has partnered with many of the biggest names in freight, including Bosch for scaled hardware production, AWS, and leading customers including Atlas Energy Solutions, IKEA, Bridgestone, Werner Enterprises, C.R. England, Roehl Transport, and General Dynamics Land Systems.

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. In 2025, Kodiak listed publicly on the NASDAQ.

We are looking for an experienced Controls Software Engineer who is passionate about safety-critical motion control to join our Motion Planning & Controls team.

In this role, you will:

Be responsible for designing and implementing our feedback, control, and actuation strategies using both established & novel techniques
Architect, develop, and test reliable, redundant, and safety-critical software that controls fully-loaded trucks driving on the road
Characterize the vehicle platform (e.g., steering, braking, throttle/engine management, dynamics) to develop models that can be used for precise motion planning, simulation, and controls
Work on fundamental problems in redundant actuation, degraded operation, and fail-safe control
Collaborate with other teams at Kodiak (e.g. hardware, embedded systems, and systems engineering) to deliver a robust vehicle control architecture
Create requirement specifications, implement features, plan testing, and document results

What you’ll bring:

Software development experience writing production-level MATLAB & Simulink
Experience with automatic code generation from MATLAB / Simulink to embedded C / C++
Development, testing, and tuning of controllers for mobile autonomous robots, ideally trucks, cars, or flying vehicles
System identification, modeling, simulation, and characterization of systems with complex dynamics
A strong theoretical foundation paired with practical experience in controls, system modeling, and redundant architectures
A focus on end-to-end vehicle safety

Bonus points if you have:

Effective development of production C++
Expertise with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing
Experience with software design and implementation in safety-critical domains (e.g. automotive, aerospace, medical, etc)
Written low-level drivers for software/hardware interfacing using protocols such as CAN or ethernet
Written efficient code running on resource-constrained embedded systems with a real-time operating system
Experience with formal verification methods, writing requirements, and systems engineering processes
Drafted safety goals and requirements with traceability, following the ISO26262 process

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