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Fornia.dev
Staff Electrical Hardware Engineer

kodiak

San Franciscofulltime

Posted on: 6/4/2025

Required Skills:

PCB DesignAutomotive StandardsPower Systems

Job Description:

Staff Hardware Electrical Engineer

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.

In this role, you will:

  • Design and validate custom PCBA electronics that are critical to the operation of our autonomous vehicle
  • Perform schematic and layout design of medium to high complexity of analog and digital PCBs
  • Responsible for ensuring risks are appropriately mitigated and designs are appropriately documented
  • Hands on debug and bring-up of PCBs within a complex system
  • Own full lifecycle of PCB design, including technical reviews, simulation, test, documentation, and product release
  • Proactively suggest improvements in test methodologies and procedures to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the validation process
  • Drive dFMEA analysis of electrical systems and participate in cross-functional analysis
  • Lead root cause analysis and resolve issues in electrical systems
  • Define stress test routines required to validate functional sections
  • Validate thermal and power performance of circuits
  • Develop and implement ISO 26262 methodologies to drive hardware design to meet ASIL goals
  • Interface closely with other teams such as Software, Mechanical, Manufacturing, and with external suppliers

What you'll bring:

  • BS or MS, or equivalent experience in Electrical, Mechanical, or Computer Engineering
  • 15+ years of hardware development experience, ideally within the automotive, aerospace or a related industry
  • 10+ years of experience with PCBAs, High Speed PCB Design, Harnesses, Power Distribution Units, Power Supplies, and automotive subcomponents
  • Deep understanding of failure analysis
  • Knowledge of mixed analog and digital circuits
  • Experience with implementation and on-vehicle debugging of low level hardware buses such as I2C, CAN, SPI, and Ethernet
  • Experience with high speed communication such as PCIe and DDR
  • Hands on. You are just as comfortable getting your hands dirty analyzing a subsystem in the shop as when using a keyboard.
  • Great communicator. You have experience writing clear, concise, and detailed documentation
  • Passion. You are passionate about autonomous vehicles and their potential impact on humanity

What we offer:

  • Competitive compensation package including equity and biannual bonuses
  • Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision plans through Kaiser Permanente, Anthem, and Guardian (including a medical plan with infertility benefits)
  • Flexible PTO and generous parental leave policies
  • 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, One Medical, Gympass, Spring Health
  • Fidelity 401(k)
  • Commuter, FSA, Dependent Care FSA, HSA
  • Various incentive programs (referral bonuses, patent bonuses, etc.)