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Verification & Validation System Engineer, Assisted Autonomy

Kodiak Sciences Inc
10 days ago
Full-time
On-site
Mountain View, CA
Operations

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 recruiting for a Verification and Validation Systems Engineer who will support the system requirements, implementation, and testing of Kodiak’s assisted autonomy system to ensure the product requirements are met and the autonomous vehicle operates safely. 

In this role, you will:

  • Define and implement verification and validation methods across multiple test environments, including remote operation centers, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) labs, and on-road vehicle testing for remote operations. 
  • Develop and maintain test plans and procedures to evaluate system performance and safety for core remote assistance features as needed for hardware releases, software releases and/or key milestones.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to scope, train, and implement new operational functions aligned with remote feature requirements.
  • Analyze remote assistance features, test evidence, and/or evaluate risk exposures to improve safety case arguments.
  • Expand the remote assistance test suite to address edge cases, a wide range of operational conditions, and existing coverage gaps. 
  • Collaborate with remote operators and trainers to align on desired operational use cases, training points, and safety goals when new features are implemented.
  • Analyze test results to identify unexpected behaviors, regressions, and/or failures while also performing root cause triage to isolate system issues and drive resolution.
  • Build tools to automate test execution, data extraction, and results reporting, with a focus on repeatability and efficiency.

Support hardware and software releases through V&V test campaigns and release packages with an emphasis on tracking results, evidence reporting, and task completion.

  • Develop and assess safety critical features for unmanned autonomous vehicles
  • Define and enforce safety critical operational procedures for unmanned autonomous vehicles 
  • Support commercial, industrial, and/or defense related projects to ensure safe autonomous operations using various platforms in different operational design domains.

What you’ll bring:

  • Must be a US person as defined as permanent resident or US citizen
  • A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Robotics, MechE/EE, System Engineering, Computer Science or a related STEM field. 
  • Strong experience in verification and validation, systems integration, and/or autonomy testing for complex systems, preferably for autonomous vehicles. 
  • Willingness and ability to travel to test/customer sites up to ~25% of the time, depending on needs for key milestones and sprints. 
  • Strong organizational and communication skills, with the ability to work cross functionally, prioritize multiple projects, and deliver results in a fast paced development environment. 
  • Strong hands-on testing experience at a test facility or in unstructured environments.
  • Bonus Points:  
    • Proficiency in Python or C++.
    • Experience developing, implementing, and/or training human-in-the-loop remote assistance tools for autonomous vehicles
    • Experience with requirements and test management tools such as JAMA or similar.
    • Experienced in the Systems Engineering V-Model and its application to V&V workflows.
    • Knowledge of safety critical development standards (e.g. ISO 26262) and familiarity with SOTIF and UL4600.

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
$120,000—$160,000 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](https://endorsed.com/local-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 careers@kodiak.ai with "Separate Review Request" in the email subject line.

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