Staff, Hardware Electrical Engineer

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 seeking a skilled Staff Hardware Electrical Engineer to join our team in Mountain View, CA. The successful candidate will be responsible for product-level design and validation of electrical PCBs and electrical subsystems that are critical to the operation of our autonomous vehicles. The role will require knowledge of high speed PCB design, a deep understanding of power systems, and be familiar with automotive safety standards and requirements. The role will work collaboratively across software, electrical engineering, and integration teams to build safe, reliable systems.

In this role, you will:

Design and validate custom PCBA electronics that are critical to the operation of our autonomous vehicle

Perform schematic and layout design of medium to high complexity of analog and digital PCBs

Responsible for ensuring risks are appropriately mitigated and designs are appropriately documented

Hands on debug and bring-up of PCBs within a complex system

Own full lifecycle of PCB design, including technical reviews, simulation, test, documentation, and product release

Proactively suggest improvements in test methodologies and procedures to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the validation process

Drive DFMEA analysis of electrical systems and lead cross-functional design trade-off discussions

Lead root cause analysis and resolve issues in electrical systems

Define stress test routines required to validate functional sections

Validate thermal and power performance of circuits

Develop and implement ISO 26262 methodologies to drive hardware design to meet ASIL goals

Interface closely with other teams such as Software, Mechanical, Manufacturing, and with external suppliers 

What you'll bring:

BS or MS, or equivalent experience in Electrical, Mechanical, or Computer Engineering

10+ years of hardware development experience, ideally within the automotive, aerospace or a related industry

10+ years of experience with PCBAs, High Speed PCB Design, Harnesses, Power Distribution Units, Power Supplies, and automotive subcomponents 

Deep understanding of failure analysis

Knowledge of mixed analog and digital circuits

Experience with implementation and on-vehicle debugging of low level hardware buses such as I2C, CAN, SPI, and Ethernet

Experience with high - speed communication such as PCIe and DDR

Hands on. You are just as comfortable getting your hands dirty analyzing a subsystem in the shop as when using a keyboard

Great communicator. You have experience writing clear, concise, and detailed documentation

Passion. You are passionate about autonomous vehicles and their potential impact on humanity

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 …