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Staff, Harness Engineering Manager

Kodiak AI· Electrical
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Mountain View, CA$170k - $235kFull-timePosted 1mo ago

About the role

Lead harness architecture and strategy for Kodiak's autonomous vehicle platform, owning technical direction for harness design across high speed, low voltage, and high power systems; establish standards, processes, and supplier relationships; mentor engineers and represent harness engineering in cross-functional reviews.

Responsibilities

  • Own the technical strategy and architecture for wire harness and subassembly design across the vehicle platform, balancing high speed, low voltage, and high power requirements
  • Set and enforce design standards, review processes, and DFM/DFA practices for harness schematics, diagrams, and system interconnect diagrams
  • Drive make/buy and supplier strategy for harness manufacturing; own key external manufacturing partner relationships and scale-up readiness
  • Lead trade studies on harness architecture (topology, routing, connector strategy, EMI/signal integrity tradeoffs) with system-level cost, weight, and reliability impact
  • Own full program lifecycle governance: technical reviews, DVP&R, outsourced cable manufacturing, qualification testing, and release
  • Lead or oversee root cause analysis on complex/escalated electrical system issues; drive corrective and preventive action across teams
  • Define and champion automated harness validation tooling and test strategy
  • Mentor and provide technical leadership to harness and electrical engineers and directly manage a harness engineering team
  • Represent harness engineering in cross-functional and executive-level design reviews with Software, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Systems, and external suppliers

Qualifications

  • BS or MS in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience
  • 10+ years of hardware development experience, including automotive, aerospace, or related safety-critical industries, with a track record of technical leadership
  • Deep expertise in electrical harness design, architecture, and manufacturing at the system level
  • Proven experience setting design/quality standards and mentoring or leading engineers or teams
  • Strong troubleshooting skillset with hands-on root cause analysis experience
  • Expert familiarity with IPC quality standards (IPC/WHMA-A-620, etc.) and their application to program-level quality processes
  • Experience with implementation and on-vehicle debugging of low-level hardware buses (CAN, Ethernet, LIN)
  • Demonstrated ability to lead supplier negotiations and manage external manufacturing partnerships
  • Hands-on. Comfortable in the shop debugging a subsystem and in the room driving architecture decisions
  • Excellent communicator — experience writing and reviewing clear, concise technical documentation and presenting to leadership
  • Passion for autonomous vehicles and their potential impact

Skills

Required:Electrical harness designSystem-level integrationIPC WHMA-A-620 familiarizationCAN / Ethernet / LIN debuggingSupplier management

Benefits

  • Competitive compensation package including equity and annual bonuses
  • Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
  • MetLife Legal Services, Identity & Fraud Protection, Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Accident Insurance, & Critical Illness Insurance
  • Flexible PTO, 10 paid holidays, and generous parental leave policies
  • Dog-friendly office in Mountain View, CA
  • Free catered lunch, fully stocked kitchen, and free EV charging
  • Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability, Life Insurance
  • Wellbeing Benefits - Headspace, Calm, One Medical, Gympass, Spring Health, Rula
  • Fidelity 401(k)
  • Commuter, FSA, Dependent Care FSA, HSA
  • Various incentive programs (referral bonuses, patent bonuses, etc.)
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Kodiak AI

Safely driving an autonomous future.

Our purpose-built autonomous solution, the Kodiak Driver, is the AV industry’s most advanced driverless technology, seamlessly integrating into any driving platform for reliable movement in any environment. Learn how we’re shaping the future of ground transportation.

autonomousdriverlessground transportationAI
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