Fall 2026 Intern, Perception

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 highly skilled Perception Intern to join us and solve real-world robotics problems. In this role, you will: Be responsible for designing perception algorithms and implementing them in robust, efficient, and well-tested C++ code. Solve real-world perception challenges such as object detection and classification, multi-object tracking, sensor fusion, and scene estimation. Integrate both novel and well-established techniques such as deep neural networks, decision trees, Kalman and particle filters, or point cloud processing on camera, laser, radar, and ultrasound data. Collaborate closely with other experts on the team, including the AI, planning, and systems engineering teams. What you’ll bring: Strong technical background. You are currently pursuing a MS or PhD and have experience designing and implementing perception algorithms; exceptional candidates pursuing a BS considered. You are a skilled software engineer with experience in C++ and strong problem-solving skills. You are passionate about solving real-world robotics problems, and you have ideally worked on autonomous robots before. Prior knowledge of working with deep neural networks is a strong plus. A team player. You take ownership and work with the team to deliver exceptional results. You are interested in the performance of the entire system across engineering disciplines. Ability to build and iterate quickly. You enjoy working fast and smart, and you are comfortable in the earlier stages of developing an algorithm from scratch. Hands on. You dig deep into important details such as the sensor driver if it improves the overall system. You like working with production machine learning pipelines, from dataset collection and labeling to training and validation. Great communicator. You have experience writing clear, concise, and detailed documentation. Start Date: September 2026. Our internship program is 12-16 weeks; the end date is flexible based on individual needs. Location: Mountain View, CA. Housing: interns are responsible for housing. What we offer: A fast paced environment where we work with talented, committed and supportive teammates. Competitive pay. Excellent medical, dental and vision benefits. A beautiful facility in Mountain View. We love our dogs, so we are a dog friendly office! Free catered lunch. 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 $10,000 - $10,000 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr