Manufacturing Test Engineer

About the role

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.

Manufacturing Test Software Engineer with production experience in manufacturing environments to join the Manufacturing team and expand our manufacturing test capabilities for our autonomous vehicle systems. This position will be a key member of the Manufacturing Test team and play a pivotal role in automating various tests, improving test coverage, scaling test capacity while ensuring long-term reliability, and integrating test systems with our MES / PLM systems

In this role, you will

• Own, develop, improve, troubleshoot, and maintain new and existing manufacturing test software to automate or execute configuration, verification, and/or testing of various components (PCBAs, third-party devices, sensors, etc.) and subassemblies.
• Work with and improve existing manufacturing test frameworks and execution platforms for production environments.
• Translate engineering test prototypes into robust, production-grade test platforms.
• Contribute to integrating and interfacing manufacturing test solutions with MES, PLM, and traceability systems.
• Develop improvements and optimizations for operator-facing user interfaces in manufacturing.
• Collaborate with various teams such as Manufacturing/Quality, Embedded, Integration, IT/CyberSecurity, etc. to determine test coverage / metrics, and align on test features and APIs, secure deployment for manufacturing tests.
• Implement optimization for DB operations for manufacturing test traceability & queries for dashboards, manufacturing process flow enforcement, etc.
• Manage and maintain test code repositories using GitHub, ensuring version control and collaboration with other team members.

What you'll bring

• Degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Computer Engineering, and/or equivalent experience.
• 3 plus years of experience in manufacturing test development, preferably in the autonomous vehicle / automotive industry.
• Proven software experience transitioning validation testing into manufacturing test systems.
• Strong proficiency in Python/C# for production, testing, and automation bonus: C++ for interfacing with various hardware or embedded devices
• Strong understanding of various communications/interface protocols such as I2C, UART, USB, UDS, CAN, LIN, Ethernet & Automotive Ethernet.
• Comfortable working with complex systems involving multiple hardware and subsystems and operating independently in manufacturing/production environments.
• Solid experience with Manufacturing Test Execution platforms such as ATEasy, NI TestStand, Keysight Test Exec, etc.
• Experience with DBs (such as PGSQL, MySQL, MSSQL) for test data storage & query optimization
• Experience using lab equipment like DMMs, Oscilloscopes, DAQs, Power supplies and Electronics loads both manually and programmatically
• Basic understanding of AWS Infrastructure services.
• Strong experience and understanding working with standard OSes like Ubuntu/Debian & Windows
• Capable of reading and interpreting electrical and/or mechanical schematics and diagrams.
• Strong understanding of best practices in software engineering and manufacturing.
• Ability to manage multiple software releases across various product categories.

What we offer

• 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.)

• 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 $140,000—$170,000 USD

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.
• 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 with "Separate Review Request" in the email subject line.