Senior/Staff Technical Program Manager, Driverless Highway Launch

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. Kodiak is launching driverless operations on public highways by the end of year — and we need the TPM who gets us there. This is a high-stakes, high-visibility role with one north star: get the truck on the highway, without a driver, safely and on schedule. You'll partner with Systems Engineering, Safety and the Autonomy Teams to drive execution of our Functional Safety (FuSA) and SOTIF programs and the Safety Case that underpins them — keeping every workstream on track on the critical path to driverless highway deployment. You'll run the cross-functional program cadence, drive how we verify and document software, and push every workstream to move faster without cutting corners. You'll also find smarter ways to execute — including using AI tools wherever they give us an edge. Launch is the milestone, not the finish line. After we go driverless, the next chapter is expanding our Operational Design Domain — and you'll lead that too. This role demands someone who is deeply execution-driven, technically fluent in software, willing to learn safety standards, and energized by the challenge of building something with real impact. In this role, you will: Drive to Driverless: ISO 26262 & ISO 21448 Execution Manage and drive the critical path from safety goals to driverless highway launch Partner with systems and software leads to adapt features and architecture to meet ISO 26262/ISO 21448 requirements on the path to driverless Hold the team accountable: get date commitments and track execution weekly Support the Safety team in building and maintaining the Safety Case Support the Safety team in building and maintaining the Safety Case — the structured argument that our system is acceptably safe for driverless highway operations Ensure that the Safety Case stays current as the system evolves, capturing evidence from testing, validation, and hazard analysis Own the connection between the Safety Case and every other safety artifact: goals, requirements, verification results, and release decisions Make the Safety Case a living, useful document — not a shelf artifact SW Verification & Documentation Ensure the team follows the processes to check software, verify that it works, and document it for safety-critical driverless operations Build rigor without bureaucracy — the process should accelerate launch, not slow it down Innovation & Efficiency Use AI tools and automation to move faster — assist engineers with requirements gap analysis, documentation, traceability tracking, reporting, wherever it helps Identify and eliminate inefficiencies in the safety and compliance workflow; introduce tooling, templates, and dashboards that scale Set the example for how a modern safety program runs Stakeholder Communication & Leadership Deliver crisp, regular updates to leadership — balancing technical depth with executive clarity Identify risks proactively and resolve cross-team blockers before they become launch blockers What you’ll bring: Experience: 5+ years in technical program management, with a track record of shipping safety-critical systems on deadline — not just tracking them Background: Bachelor's or Master's in Automotive Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or related field Safety-first, Execution-Second: You make the plan, set the dates, an