Staff Vehicle Manufacturing 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.

We are looking for a Manufacturing Engineer to act as a technical leader in our Manufacturing group. This position will be key in launching DFM and best practices at Kodiak.

In this role, you will

• Lead electromechanical manufacturing for ruggedized compute rack assemblies, automotive harnessing, and electromechanical assemblies
• Lead electromechanical DFM and best practices
• Coordinate with Supply Chain and commercial teams to determine and ensure supply of components
• Identify and evaluate suppliers for component builds
• Coordinate documentation requirements with engineering, test and quality teams
• Communicate program progress, milestones, and potential risks to leadership and overall engineering team
• Evaluate and contribute to manufacturing line design and improvements
• Lead all manufacturing troubleshooting activities including root cause analysis, yield improvement, and test/automation

What you'll bring

• 7+ years of experience of manufacturing engineering in a complex environment
• Proven track record of managing complex system builds
• Automotive, heavy industry, or aerospace experience
• Hands on manufacturing experience including line bring up, test, fixture design, and automation
• Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills
• Proven track record of taking a system from design to scale production
• Ability to identify, root cause, and lead solutions for issues found on the line and in the field
• Lead DFx efforts in conjunction with our in-house Design teams

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
• 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 $155,000—$220,000 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.