Senior Cloud Security 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 highly skilled and proactive Senior Cloud Security Engineer to join our growing security team. In this role, you will be the primary architect and guardian of our central command and control center application environment, ensuring that our cloud-native platforms—and the data within them—remain secure against an evolving threat landscape.The ideal candidate bridges the gap between traditional security engineering and modern DevOps, possessing a deep understanding of how to secure multi-tenant cloud environments without compromising agility.In this role, you will:Scope, design, and build complex security systems end to end, maintaining them through production and driving through ambiguous technical challenges with minimal oversightIdentify systematic risks through threat modeling and risk assessment, then build the controls and infrastructure that address themEnable other teams to build their own security solutions by providing design pattern guidance and expanding security ownership beyond the security teamDeveloper security and supply chainBuild and advance our developer security program by embedding security practices into the software development lifecycle and developer workflowsHarden CI/CD pipelines against supply chain attacks through isolated build environments, signed attestations, dependency verification, and automated policy enforcementIdentity and secrets managementArchitect systems that protect sensitive assets including model weights, customer data, and training datasetsBuild and operate credential issuance, rotation, and workload authentication across our multi-cloud environmentsInfrastructure securityImplement and maintain cloud security controls including IAM, network segmentation, VPC architecture, and encryption across our multi-cloud and on-prem environmentsContribute to cluster security controls including RBAC policies, namespace isolation, workload identity, and pod securityContribute to continuous cloud security posture management using infrastructure-as-code scanning, misconfiguration detection, and automated remediationSecure frameworksBuild critical security foundations including cryptographic frameworks, mTLS infrastructure, secure serialization, and authorization systems, designed to prevent entire classes of vulnerabilities and empower engineering teams to work securely without becoming security experts themselvesPartner with product, research, infrastructure, and other security teams to ensure frameworks integrate smoothly with lower-layer security controlsWhat you'll bring:At least 6 years of software engineering experience with deep security expertise, including leading complex security initiatives independentlyBachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent industry experienceStrong programming skills in Python or at least one systems language such as Go, Rust, or C/C++Deep understanding of identity systems, cryptographic primitives, and secrets managementWorking knowledge of Kubernetes security primitives including RBAC, namespaces, network policies, and service accountsExperience leading cross-functional security initiatives and navigating complex organizational dynamicsOutstanding communication skills, translating technical concepts effectively across all levels of the organizationA track record of bringing clarity and ownership to ambiguous technical problems and driving them to resolutionLow ego and high empathy, with a history of growing the engineers around you and supporting diverse, inclusive teamsBonus Points for:Designed or operated identity and secrets management systems for large-scale AI or cloud infrastructureBuilt security frameworks or libraries adopted across an engineering organizationLed a developer security program including supply chain security, secure build infrastructure, and SDLC integrationsBuilt or secured CI infrastructure using Nix, Bazel, or Kubernetes-based deploy systems, with depth in toolchain issues, CI/CD pipelines, and developer workflow optimizationImplemented machine identity or workload authentication systems using SPIFFE/SPIRE, mTLS, or equivalentUnderstanding of Linux systems internals including namespaces, cgroups, and seccomp, and how these underpin container and workload isolationContributed to the security architecture of multi-cloud environments including network segmentation, data protection, and access governanceExperience with network security controls including admission controllers, CNI-level policy, service mesh security, and east-west traffic enforcementExperience building runtime security monitoring using eBPF or kernel security policiesWhat we offer:Competitive compensation package including equity and annual bonusesExcellent 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 InsuranceFlexible PTO, 10 paid holidays, and generous parental leave policiesOur office is centrally located in Mountain View, CAOffice perks: dog-friendly, free catered lunch, a fully stocked kitchen, and free EV chargingLong Term Disability, Short Term Disability, Life InsuranceWellbeing 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, HSAVarious 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 packageCalifornia Pay Range$190,000—$250,000 USDAt 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](). 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 click.appcast.io with "Separate Review Request" in the email subject line.