Software Engineer (Routing)

Join Kodiak Robotics as a Software Engineer specializing in Motion Planning. In this senior technical role, you will lead the development of core planning capabilities that directly impact the behavior of the Kodiak Driver on the road. You will own complex planning challenges from concept to production rollout, shape the architecture and interfaces, and drive improvements in planning quality and system reliability. This position offers a remote-friendly work environment, generous PTO policy, and various benefits.

• Lead the development of core planning capabilities for the Kodiak Driver, addressing complex planning challenges from problem framing to implementation.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to create solutions for complex real-world driving scenarios, influencing the architecture and evaluation strategies of the planning stack.
• Provide technical leadership, mentor other engineers, and guide the technical direction within the Behavior & Motion Planning team.
• 4+ years of experience building production software, including substantial experience in C++
• This is a senior technical role for engineers who thrive on ambiguous, high-leverage problems at the intersection of robotics, optimization, and real-time systems
• You should be excited to combine deep technical judgment with hands-on execution, using data from real-world operation to improve safety, driving quality, and system performance
• Proven track record of owning and delivering complex technical projects with real-world impact
• Strong systems thinking and the ability to work effectively across software boundaries and organizational interfaces
• MS, PhD, or equivalent experience in a technically rigorous domain
• Ability to balance long-term design quality with fast, pragmatic iteration in a production environment
• Excellent technical judgment, communication, and collaboration skills
• Deep background in robotics, motion planning, optimization, controls, or related fields
• Strong knowledge of motion planning, trajectory optimization, prediction, optimal control, or related areas in the autonomous systems
• Experience shipping autonomy or robotics software on real vehicles or robotic platforms
• Experience working on real-time, performance-critical systems
• Experience building evaluation, debugging, and data-analysis tools for autonomy or robotics stacks
• Track record of mentoring engineers and leading technical direction across projects