Staff Systems Engineer, Fault Management

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. The Systems and Safety Engineering team at Kodiak is seeking an experienced Systems Engineer to own the design and execution of Kodiak’s next-generation Autonomy Fault Management System. This individual will lead the effort end-to-end: from product and system requirement definition, through architecture and implementation, to verification and validation, and safety case integration. This leader will ensure that the Kodiak Driver handles onboard system faults with the desired, correct, safe response. This role is central to progressing towards achieving a scalable driverless deployment and will work closely with autonomy hardware, software, and system safety teams. This role directly shapes Kodiak’s ability to operate sustainably at commercial scale. Fault management is not only a safety system—it is a primary lever of fleet availability, utilization, and cost per mile. You will own the technical strategies that determine when the system can continue operating safely, when it must degrade, and when it must exit service In this role, you will: Lead the end-to-end development of the next generation of Autonomy Fault Management System, leading the collaborative effort across hardware, software, system safety, and operations teams. Own the systems and safety engineering execution for fault management across the full V-model lifecycle. Lead the development of systems engineering artifacts, including requirements, traceability, V&V plans, V&V evidence. Define and lead the fault management architecture and concept of operations, including detection, isolation, response, safe-state definition, and minimum risk conditions. Generate technical evidence in support of the adequacy, coverage, and sufficiency of the Fault Management System as an element of Kodiak’s Driverless Safety Case. Support quantitative and qualitative analyses used to set detection thresholds, prioritize hazards, and evaluate risk associated with fault responses and minimum risk maneuvers. Lead and influence system architecture trade studies that impact the fault coverage, system availability, safety risk, and operational continuity. Develop the strategy for managing system availability, degraded operation, and operational continuity through the Fault Management System. Quantify the commercial and safety impact of false positive and false negative detections. Provide analysis to support complex autonomy system design trade-offs to inform system design decisions affecting safety and performance. Serve as the technical leader to align cross-functional teams around a unified fault management strategy. What you’ll bring: B.S., M.S., or PhD in engineering or related technical field 5+ years experience within real-time safety-critical applications, preferably in highly automated or autonomous systems (autonomous vehicles, aerospace, nuclear, medical, etc). Experience with fault management, diagnostic development, safe state identification and development Experience working with agile software engineering teams Ability to read C/C++ code Experienced in Systems Engineering V-model and application within product life cycle Strong verbal and written communication skills Ability to collaborate effectively with technical stakeholders spanning multiple technical disciplines What we offer: Competitive com