Staff Software Engineer, Behavior Planning

Full Timestaff

Mountain View, CAPosted 7 days ago

Role Overview

Kodiak is hiring a Staff Software Engineer, Behavior Planning. This is a full-time role in Mountain View. Part of Kodiak's Qa hiring, posted last week. Full responsibilities, required qualifications, and the apply link are listed in the description below.

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Job description

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 Staff Software Engineer to help build and improve behavior planning and motion planning systems for autonomous driving. In this role, you will own planning features end to end, from design and implementation through validation, deployment, and analysis.

You will work on real-world autonomy behavior and help the system make safe, comfortable, and effective decisions in complex driving scenarios. This role is ideal for someone with strong planning experience who enjoys building production-quality autonomy software and collaborating across the autonomy stack

In this role, you will

Design, implement, and improve behavior planning and motion planning features.
Own planning projects from problem definition through deployment.
Debug autonomy behavior using logs, simulation, metrics, and real-world data.
Improve how the autonomy system balances safety, comfort, progress, and operational constraints.
Collaborate with teams across Prediction, Controls, Perception, ML, Simulation, Systems, and Safety.
Define success metrics and validation plans for planning features.
Write production-quality C++ software.
Participate in technical design reviews, code reviews, and architecture discussions.
Mentor junior and senior engineers.

What you’ll bring

Experience in behavior planning, motion planning, decision-making, robotics, autonomous vehicles, or related areas.
Strong software engineering skills, preferably in C++.
Experience building autonomy software in industrial, production, or near-production environments.
Ability to debug complex robotics or autonomy behavior using logs, metrics, and simulation.
Strong system-level judgment around safety, comfort, and deployment readiness.
Strong collaboration and communication skills

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

$240,000—$265,000 USD

At Kodiak, we strive to build a diverse community working towards our common company goals in a safe and collaborative environment where harassment of any kind is strictly prohibited. Kodiak is committed to equal opportunity employment regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

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](https://endorsed.com/local-law-144). 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 careers@kodiak.ai with "Separate Review Request" in the email subject line.

About Kodiak

Kodiak

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for the Staff Software Engineer, Behavior Planning position at Kodiak?

Use the Apply button above to submit your application directly to Kodiak. Most applications take less than 5 minutes if your resume and contact details are ready, and you'll be routed to the employer's official application system to finish.

Where is the Staff Software Engineer, Behavior Planning position at Kodiak located?

This position is based in Mountain View. Kodiak has not indicated remote or hybrid options for this role, so candidates should plan for on-site work.

What does a Staff Software Engineer, Behavior Planning at Kodiak earn?

Kodiak has not disclosed a salary range in this posting. Many employers share specifics later in the interview process; you can also ask during a recruiter screen if compensation transparency is important to you.

When was the Staff Software Engineer, Behavior Planning role at Kodiak posted?

This role was posted on July 2, 2026 (7 days ago). It's still listed as actively hiring; we re-confirm openings against the source system multiple times per day and remove closed roles.

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