Senior Camera Engineer

Job Description

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 Senior Camera Engineer to lead the design and development of Kodiak's camera sensing pipeline. This is a hands-on role for someone who deeply understands camera hardware, ISP tuning, compression, drivers, and how sensor data is used in modern computer vision and ML techniques. In this role you will be tasked with optimizing a camera pipeline for ML consumption - you will own the camera pipeline from pixel to compute - including camera selection and configuration, testing, IQ tuning, and working closely with perception, ML, and software teams to build a robust, scalable Kodiak driver.

In this role, you will:

• Own camera-based perception pipelines from sensor selection to production deployment
• Evaluate and select camera sensors, modules, and optics based on system and application requirements
• Tune and optimize ISP pipelines (image quality, color, HDR, noise, latency, synchronization) for machine and human consumption
• Work with perception and software teams to deploy next-generation camera system
• Run hands on testing in the field to troubleshoot camera system issues and test next-gen hardware
• Debug camera issues across the from sensor to ISP
• Drive design decisions around compression and sensor synchronization
• Manage relationships with suppliers and external partners
• Research and evaluate emerging imaging technologies

What You'll Bring:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field
• 7+ years of experience in camera, computer vision, or perception engineering
• Strong experience with testing and selecting camera sensors and complete camera modules
• Understanding of image signal processing (ISP) pipelines — familiarity with auto white balance, auto exposure, tone mapping, and how ISP tuning affects downstream perception
• Basic understanding of computer vision and ML fundamentals
• Hands-on experience developing and deploying camera pipelines for robotics
• Basic software engineering skills in C++ and/or Python
• Ability to collaborate effectively with hardware, systems, and software teams

Nice to haves:

• Experience in robotics, autonomous systems, AR/VR, or advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)
• Experience with challenging imaging conditions and understanding of how image quality maps to perception performance
• Experience with camera system integration — understanding data interfaces, bandwidth constraints, latency requirements, and how imaging subsystems integrate into larger robotic platforms.

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

$160,000—$195,000 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](-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 View email address on ziprecruiter.com with "Separate Review Request" in the email subject line.