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Staff Autonomy Software Engineer, Localization

Kodiak AI· Mapping & Localization
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Mountain View$200k - $260kfull-timePosted 4w ago

About the role

Staff engineer on the Calibration, Localization and Mapping (CLAM) team focused on state estimation, inertial navigation, and sensed odometry. Sets technical direction, leads sensor fusion and pose estimation across IMU, camera, and lidar, and defines evaluation methodology for navigation performance.

Responsibilities

  • Set the technical strategy and architecture for our onboard navigation and pose estimation systems.
  • Lead the design and development of advanced sensor fusion and pose estimation approaches across IMU, camera, and lidar sensors, anticipating failure modes before they arise in the field.
  • Drive the direction of visual and lidar odometry algorithms, including evaluating build-vs-adopt tradeoffs for new techniques.
  • Define and evangelize navigation metrics and evaluation methodology used across the org to assess algorithm and system performance.
  • Serve as a technical escalation point for complex, ambiguous, or cross-cutting localization problems.
  • Evaluate sensor performance and optimize sensor selection.
  • Verify correct sensor calibrations, settings, and uncertainty characterizations.

Qualifications

  • BS, MS or PhD with academic or industry experience in building navigation, localization, and odometry systems.
  • Expert in C++ and strong problem-solving skills.
  • Strong software engineering skills and experience building high-reliability deployed applications. Code is your craft.
  • Deep experience transforming raw sensor data from GNSS, IMU, wheel speed, etc. into 6-DOF pose using Kalman Filtering, factor graphs, or comparable state estimation techniques.
  • Experience with computer vision, visual odometry, and/or odometry from point clouds.
  • A history of mentoring engineers and elevating the technical practices of a team.
  • A team player who takes ownership and cares about system-wide performance across engineering disciplines.
  • Ability to build and iterate quickly; comfortable defining and building lasting infrastructure components from scratch.
  • Hands-on, curious, flexible; interested in expanding into new domains to provide complete system-wide solutions.
  • Great communicator with experience writing clear, concise design documentation.

Skills

Required:Navigation and Localization SystemsC++Sensor FusionState Estimation
Nice to have:Computer Vision / Visual Odometry

Benefits

  • 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 located in Mountain View, CA
  • Dog-friendly office, free catered lunch, fully stocked kitchen, free EV charging
  • Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability, Life Insurance
  • Wellbeing Benefits - Headspace, Calm, One Medical, Gympass, Spring Health, mental health navigation
  • 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.

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