Sign up to access all features of our service.
  • Job search
  • Favorites
  • Create a CV
    New
  • Salaries
  • Subscriptions

Staff Software Engineer, Motion Planning

$200k - $250k

Kodiak

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.

Kodiak is recruiting a Staff Software Engineer to join our Planning team and advance the Kodiak Driver's ability to safely and gracefully handle complex real-world driving scenarios.

In this role, you will:

  • Design and develop motion planning and prediction systems for driverless operation on public roads
  • Develop the architecture and long-term roadmap for planning and prediction
  • Mentor and provide technical leadership to junior and senior engineers, raising the bar for engineering excellence across the engineering organization
  • Integrate engineered driving logic and machine-learning models
  • Develop robust models to predict the behavior of other actors, improving both safety and driving performance
  • Partner cross-functionally with Perception, Controls, Systems, and Simulation teams to define interfaces, requirements, and system behavior
  • Solve difficult real-world problems involving lane changing, merging, speed modulation, mission updates, multi-trajectory prediction, and more!

What you'll bring:

  • 6+ years of experience developing production-level robotics software
  • Strong facility with modern C++
  • Expertise in motion planning, trajectory optimization, graph theory, and related domains
  • Delivery of complex autonomous systems
  • Leadership through ambiguous, unsolved challenges

Bonus points if you have:

  • Experience deploying software on driverless autonomous vehicles
  • Experience improving system performance (latency, throughput, reliability) in production environments
  • Familiarity with simulation frameworks and data-driven development workflows
  • A track record of mentoring engineers

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

$200,000—$250,000 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.

Vacancy posted 8 days ago
Similar jobs that could be interesting for youBased on the Staff Software Engineer, Motion Planning in Mountain View, CA vacancy
  • $180k - $260k

     ...-encompassing solution that integrates advanced software and hardware powering the fleet, facilitating effortless...  ...About the role We are seeking senior or staff software engineers to join our planning team to build motion planning and decision-making systems and help... 
    Suggested
    Odd job
    Work at office

    Gatik AI

    Mountain View, CA
    16 hours ago
  • $180k - $260k

    Overview Senior/ Staff Software Engineer, Motion Planning — Mountain View, CA Gatik, the leader in autonomous middle-mile logistics, is revolutionizing the B2B supply chain with its autonomous transportation-as-a-service (ATaaS) solution. Gatik focuses on short-haul, B... 
    Suggested
    Work at office

    Booster

    Mountain View, CA
    1 day ago
  • $151k - $240k

     ...before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments. About the role As a Motion Planning Engineer on the Fallback Stack team, you will design and ship deterministic, safety-critical planning systems that ensure... 
    Suggested
    Odd job
    Full time
    For contractors
    For subcontractor
    Casual work
    Work at office
    Remote work
    Day shift

    Applied Intuition

    Sunnyvale, CA
    2 days ago
  • $149.37k - $245k

     ...About the role Analyze user needs and software requirements, develop solutions, and...  ..., particularly advanced behavior and motion planning algorithms for off-road vehicles. Work...  ...Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Robotics, or related At least 2... 
    Suggested
    For contractors
    For subcontractor

    Applied Intuition

    Sunnyvale, CA
    3 days ago
  • $218.8k - $335.3k

     ...intuitive design, intelligent software, and next-generation safety...  ...with perception, prediction and planning systems, ensuring...  ...technical reviews and drive software engineering best practices across the team...  ...~5+ years of experience in motion planning or related field ~... 
    Suggested
    Work experience placement
    Local area
    Remote work
    Work from home
    Relocation package
    Flexible hours

    General Motors

    Mountain View, CA
    3 days ago
  • $230.8k - $271.2k

     ...Remote Department Engineering Compensation: $23...  ...puts information in motion, streaming in near real...  ...and executing Staff Engineer to help make...  ...10+ years of relevant software development experience...  ...especially around query planning and optimization. Extensive... 
    Full time
    Remote work

    Confluent

    Mountain View, CA
    8 days ago
  • $200k - $250k

     ...Staff Software Engineer, Controls Kodiak Robotics, Inc. was founded in 2018 and has become a leader in autonomous ground transportation...  ...is passionate about safety-critical systems to join our Motion Planning & Controls team. In this role, you will: Be responsible... 
    Temporary work
    Work at office
    Visa sponsorship
    Flexible hours

    Kodiak

    Mountain View, CA
    1 day ago
  •  ...meeting an unprecedented expectation for faster deliveries. About the role: We are seeking senior or staff software engineers to join our planning team to build motion planning and decision‑making systems and help mature new products all the way through to production.... 
    Odd job
    Work at office

    Booster

    Mountain View, CA
    1 day ago
  • $151k - $240k

    About the role As a Motion Planning Engineer on the Fallback Stack team, you will design and ship deterministic, safety-critical planning systems that ensure autonomous vehicles behave safely when autonomy degrades or operates under uncertainty. This role emphasizes classical... 
    Odd job
    Full time
    Remote work

    Applied Intuition

    Sunnyvale, CA
    1 day ago
  • $125k - $232k

     ...About the role We are looking for bright engineers interested in designing elegant...  ...Intuition, you will: Design and implement motion planning and controls modules that can be deployed...  ...years of experience building production software using modern software practices. Hands... 
    Full time
    For contractors
    For subcontractor
    Casual work
    Work at office
    Remote work
    Day shift

    Decisive Point

    Sunnyvale, CA
    16 hours ago
  • $189k - $303k

     ...80 N Bernardo Ave., Mountain View, CA 94043 Job title: Staff Software Engineer, Behavior Planning Minimum Salary: $189,000 - $303,000 Education: Master’s...  ...experience in designing, building, and productionizing motion planning algorithms. Demonstrated experience with statistical... 
    Full time

    Istss

    Mountain View, CA
    1 day ago
  • $218.8k - $335.3k

     ...intuitive design, intelligent software, and next-generation safety...  ...with perception, prediction and planning systems, ensuring...  ...technical reviews and drive software engineering best practices across the team...  ...considered 5+ years of experience in motion planning or related field... 
    Work experience placement
    Local area
    Remote work
    Flexible hours

    General Motors

    Mountain View, CA
    1 day ago
  • $176.4k - $319.72k

    About The Team The Systems Engineering team is responsible for the requirements...  ...intersection of hardware, software, and robot operations, with...  ...About The Role As a Senior/Staff Software Engineer, Behavior...  ...in robotics Behavior, motion planning, or routing. Experience with... 
    Temporary work
    Work experience placement

    Icehouseventures

    Mountain View, CA
    1 day ago
  • $185k - $235k

     ...Kodiak is also leveraging its commercial self-driving software to develop, test and deploy autonomous capabilities...  ...Defense. We are looking for an experienced Software Engineer to join our Behavior & Motion Planning team and lead the development of core planning... 
    Temporary work
    Work at office
    Visa sponsorship
    Flexible hours

    Kodiak

    Mountain View, CA
    7 days ago
  •  ...automotive leader is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for their Secondary Driving System team...  ...systems, with opportunities to design planning algorithms and collaborate across engineering...  ...robotics background and experience in motion planning. The hybrid position allows... 
    Remote work

    General Motors

    Sunnyvale, CA
    16 hours ago
  • Decisive Point is seeking a Technical Lead for Motion Planning in Sunnyvale, CA. In this role, you will guide the development of advanced...  ...performance algorithms meet strict timing constraints. You will mentor engineers, drive technical direction, and collaborate with customers to... 

    Decisive Point

    Sunnyvale, CA
    2 days ago
  • $152k - $241.5k

     ...Come join the team and see how you can make a lasting impact on the world. We are seeking an experienced Motion planning senior software development engineer to develop key features for our autonomous driving platform. In this role, you will work on a mix of Trajectory... 

    NVIDIA

    Santa Clara, CA
    16 hours ago
  • $125k - $232k

    Applied Intuition in Sunnyvale is seeking engineers to design solutions for autonomous vehicles. You will implement motion planning and controls modules to ensure precise navigation...  ...have 3+ years of experience in production software, particularly with C++, and are familiar... 

    Decisive Point

    Sunnyvale, CA
    4 days ago
  • $217.57k - $260k

     ...learn more, visit Role Overview ID.me is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to join the Wallet - Authentication & Identity Proofing...  ...initiatives around observability, alert hygiene, capacity planning, and incident response for high-traffic, high-sensitivity systems... 
    Full time
    Temporary work
    Work at office
    Remote work
    Flexible hours

    ID.me

    Mountain View, CA
    3 days ago
  • $300 per month

     ...Staff Software Engineer Crusoe is on a mission to accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence. As the only vertically integrated AI...  ...systems (NATS, Kafka, Kinesis) Experience with capacity planning, resource scheduling, or fleet management systems Background... 
    Temporary work

    Crusoe

    Sunnyvale, CA
    3 days ago
  • $132.8k - $250.8k

     ...Staff Software Engineer We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You...  ...partner teams in Ford Engineering. • Project Scoping and Planning: Effectively scope and provide timelines and capacity needs... 
    Full time
    Immediate start
    Flexible hours

    Ford Motor Company

    Palo Alto, CA
    2 days ago
  • $281k - $356k

     ...(SimEval Capacity Operations, Resource Planning, Infrastructure Optimization). This team...  ...You will: As the founding Senior Staff Engineer of the SCORPIO team, you will: Define...  ...scientists, business analysts, and software engineers. You have: ~ PhD or Master... 
    Full time
    Remote work

    Waymo

    Mountain View, CA
    3 days ago
  • $281k - $356k

     ...Senior Staff Software Engineer, TLM Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with the mission to be the world's most trusted driver...  .... AV Context: Specific experience in Autonomous Driving planning, perception, or simulation research. Software Rigor:... 
    Full time
    Remote work

    Waymo

    Mountain View, CA
    16 hours ago
  • $176.4k - $319.72k

     ...Senior/Staff Software Engineer, Behavior Verification Mountain View, California (HQ) Nuro is a self-driving technology company on a mission...  ...with the development or verification of behavior planning/prediction systems for robots, and a collaborative nature to... 
    Odd job
    Work experience placement

    Nuro

    Mountain View, CA
    2 days ago
  • $110k - $230k

     ...GEICO Duck Creek Software Engineer At GEICO, we offer a rewarding career where your ambitions...  ...Responsibilities In this role, you will serve as a Staff Engineer, driving secure, performant,...  ...~ Lifecycle tooling expertise (planning, source, build, deploy, operations)... 
    Hourly pay
    Work experience placement
    Flexible hours

    GEICO

    Palo Alto, CA
    3 days ago
  • $207k - $300k

     ...a r l y S t a g e S u p p l y C h a i n P r o j e c t Software Engineering Mountain View, CA (HQ) About the Company: X is Alphabet...  ...clear and concise manner ~ Exceptional organization and planning skills ~ Ability to think both strategically and... 
    Full time

    X: The Moonshot Factory

    Mountain View, CA
    1 day ago
  • $251k - $310k

     ...Staff Software Engineer, Capacity Optimization Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with the mission to be the world's most trusted...  ...team called SCORPIO (SimEval Capacity Operations, Resource Planning, Infrastructure Optimization). This team is tasked with... 
    Full time
    Remote work
    Shift work

    Waymo

    Mountain View, CA
    2 days ago
  • $238k - $302k

     ...up and running in multiple cities, with ambitious plans to expand dramatically in the coming years; the...  ...planning and executing vehicle maintenance and uptime software. In this hybrid role, you will report to an Engineering Manager. You will: Collaborate and... 
    Full time
    Remote work

    Waymo

    Mountain View, CA
    7 days ago
  • $180k - $260k

     ...Senior/Staff Software Engineer - Remote Assistance Mountain View, CA Who We Are Gatik, the leader in autonomous middle-mile logistics...  .... Collaborate cross-functionally with teams in behavior planning, platform engineering, integration, safety, and operations... 
    Odd job
    Work at office
    Remote work

    Gatik AI

    Mountain View, CA
    3 days ago
  • $172.8k - $251.65k

     ...analyses to evaluate autonomous driving software performance across the autonomy stack....  ...functional efforts with autonomy, systems engineering, simulation, and data teams to embed evaluation...  ...subsystems fromperceptionthrough planning and control of the vehicle. ~3+ years... 
    Local area
    Remote work
    Work from home
    Relocation
    Relocation package
    Flexible hours

    General Motors

    Sunnyvale, CA
    4 days ago

Do you want to receive more vacancies?

Subscribe and receive similar vacancies to Staff Software Engineer, Motion Planning. Be the first to apply!