Verification & Validation System 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. We are looking for a Verification and Validation (V&V) System Engineer with a strong technical background in system-level testing, structured test development, and validation of autonomous vehicle behaviors. This role is critical in ensuring Kodiak’s self-driving vehicles behave as expected in both simulation and on-road environments. The ideal candidate thrives working across software, hardware, operations, and safety teams to develop scalable test coverage to support software releases and safety assurance processes. This person will be based in the Detroit, MI area. In this role, you will: Define and implement verification and validation methods across multiple test environments, including simulation, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), and in-vehicle testing. A major focus will be on structured vehicle-level scenario testing at a test track facility. Develop structured test plans and procedures to evaluate system performance and safety for core autonomy features for software releases and key milestones. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to scope and execute new tests aligned with feature requirements. Develop and refine test workflows to improve efficiency and coverage of critical requirements using a combination of simulation, analysis, and on-road validation. Expand the test suite to address edge cases, a wide range of operational conditions, and existing coverage gaps. Analyze test results to identify unexpected behaviors and failures, support root cause triage, and drive resolution. Build tools to automate test execution, data extraction, and results reporting, with a focus on repeatability and efficiency. Support software release readiness through structured test completion, tracking, failure resolution, and final test documentation and reporting. What you’ll bring: 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. Bonus: Proficiency in Python or C++; experience with developing test metrics and KPIs. Ability to query large databases (e.g. ElasticSearch); 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