Winter 2027 Intern, Data Engineering

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.

Data Engineering Intern

We are looking for a highly skilled Data Engineering Intern to join us and solve real-world robotics problems. Our ideal candidates exhibit a can-do attitude and approach their work with vigor and determination. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate excellence in their respective fields and possess the ability to learn quickly in a fast-paced environment.

In this role, you will

• Optimize and maintain AuroraDB, ElasticSearch, and other data stores to ensure high availability, scalability, and performance for critical robotics and safety datasets.
• Design, build, and maintain robust data pipelines to facilitate the continuous development of our data platform, ensuring data cleanliness, reliability, and efficient ingestion.
• Explore, evaluate, and scale QuickSight and modular dashboarding frameworks/factories to streamline reporting and surface actionable insights across the organization.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Statistics, or a related quantitative technical field.
• Strong working knowledge of relational and/or object database design, query optimization, and schema management.
• Experience or strong familiarity with cloud-based data platforms such as AWS Aurora DB and ElasticSearch, and building associated ETL/ELT pipelines.
• Familiarity with BI tools, dashboarding frameworks, or automated reporting factories (e.g., AWS QuickSight, Kibana, or custom visualization frameworks).
• Thinking with a safety mindset and an interest in autonomous systems or robotics.
• Ability to take ownership and enjoy working collaboratively to deliver dependable data solutions.
• Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git) and modern software development workflows.

Bonus Points

• Hands-on internship or project experience building automated data pipelines or managing cloud database infrastructure.
• Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code or automated data integration frameworks.

Internship Program Details

• Start Date: January 2027
• Our internship program is 12-16 weeks; the end date is flexible based on individual needs.
• Location: Mountain View, CA.
• Housing: Interns are responsible for housing.

What We Offer

• A fast paced environment where we work with talented, committed and supportive teammates.
• Competitive pay.
• Excellent medical, dental and vision benefits.
• A beautiful facility in Mountain View.
• We love our dogs, so we are a dog friendly office!
• Free catered lunch.

• 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 $10,000—$10,000 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.