Defense Technical Program Manager

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. Kodiak is seeking a Defense Technical Program Manager to lead execution of autonomy and platform capabilities supporting defense and government‑adjacent customers. This role is responsible for driving complex, cross‑functional technical programs that require high rigor, clear accountability, and strong coordination across engineering, product, operations, and external stakeholders. You will help ensure that defense programs are delivered with the predictability, documentation, and risk management expected in government‑facing environments, while still moving with startup speed. What you’ll do Own end‑to‑end execution of defense‑focused technical programs, from requirements definition through delivery, test, and customer acceptance. Partner closely with engineering teams to plan, build, integrate, and validate autonomy and platform capabilities for defense use cases. Collaborate with product, operations, and leadership to translate customer, mission, and contractual requirements into clear technical scope and execution plans. Lead cross‑team technical planning, ensuring requirements are traceable, dependencies are understood, and delivery plans are realistic and defensible. Work with product managers to manage scope, tradeoffs, and change control while maintaining delivery commitments. Build and maintain integrated program roadmaps that align features, milestones, reviews, and dependencies to schedules. Establish and manage program operating rhythms (milestone reviews, risk reviews, readiness checkpoints) appropriate for government‑facing programs. Identify, track, and mitigate technical, schedule, and integration risks; elevate issues with clear options and recommendations. Drive closure of top program risks and quality issues, including prioritization of critical defects and system‑level performance gaps. Communicate program status, risks, and decisions clearly to internal leadership and, when appropriate, external partners or customers. Support technical decision‑making by articulating constraints, assumptions, and downstream impacts. Improve tools, processes, and documentation practices to support repeatable, auditable execution in defense contexts. What you’ll bring 3+ years of experience in technical or program management supporting autonomy, robotics, aerospace, defense, or other complex safety‑critical systems. Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, related technical discipline or equivalent experience. Experience managing programs with external customers, contractual milestones, or government‑style delivery expectations. Strong understanding of software and systems development lifecycles, including integration, verification, and validation. Demonstrated ability to operate in environments requiring high rigor, documentation, and accountability. Excellent communication skills, with the ability to align engineering, product, and leadership while maintaining safety and quality standards. Interest in defense or government‑adjacent applications of autonomous systems. Nice to have experience working with government customers, primes, or defense contractors. 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. Well‑being 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: $180,000 USD – $240,000 USD At Kodiak, we strive to build a diverse community working toward 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr