Program Manager, Industrial Operations

Overview 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. As Program Manager, Industrial Operations, you will serve as the operational DRI for industrial operating rhythm and cross-functional execution management. You will run the operating rhythm and drive disciplined execution across cross-functional teams, ensuring delivery commitments are supported by clear plans and consistent follow-through. This role is execution-focused and embedded in the work. You will partner across Operations, Product, Engineering, and customer stakeholders to bring structure to complex operational environments, reduce friction, and improve delivery consistency. You will surface and elevate risks and tradeoffs early while helping teams move from reactive execution to structured, repeatable operating discipline. If you thrive in fast-moving environments and enjoy turning ambiguity into clarity and momentum, this role is for you. What You’ll Do Execute as the operational DRI for execution, ensuring priorities, timelines, and owners are clearly defined and tracked. Run the industrial operating cadence (readiness review, program review, weekly cross-functional execution review) with structured follow-through. Support scaling industrial operations by improving execution predictability, reducing recurring issues, and increasing operational readiness as program volume grows. Partner closely with Product, Operations and Engineering to improve execution efficiency and follow-through across field-facing work. Standardize how field issues are captured, prioritized, and communicated across teams to drive timely resolution. Support alignment between operational execution and SLA-related commitments, proactively surfacing gaps and risks. Surface and elevate key risks, trade-offs, and decision points early, ensuring timely alignment and resolution across stakeholders. Operational Readiness & Process Improvement Spend time in the field to understand workflows firsthand and translate insights into durable improvements. Coordinate the reduction in manual workflows and recurring breakdowns by implementing lightweight structure that improves consistency. Support rollout of standard work, documentation, and repeatable processes that scale with program growth. Support service and fleet readiness by reducing Engineering load. What We’re Looking For 3 to 5+ years of experience in program management, operations, or technical operations roles. Experience coordinating cross-functional execution in dynamic or field-based environments. Experience working with hardware and software systems in production environments. Industry Exposure (Nice to Have) Exposure to logistics, trucking, operations, or integration-heavy environments. Familiarity with autonomous vehicles, autonomous operations, or the broader AV industry. Mindset Strong execution orientation with disciplined follow-through. Comfortable operating in ambiguity and building structure where it does not yet exist. Clear communicator who escalates early with context and recommended options. Focused on building repeatable systems that improve consistency and scale. 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 Office perks: free catered lunch, a fully stocked kitchen 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.) 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. 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr Kodiak