Senior Camera 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 Senior Camera Engineer to lead the design and development of Kodiak’s camera sensing pipeline. This is a hands-on role for someone who deeply understands camera hardware, ISP tuning, compression, drivers, and how sensor data is used in modern computer vision and ML techniques. In this role you will be tasked with optimizing a camera pipeline for ML consumption - you will own the camera pipeline from pixel to compute - including camera selection and configuration, testing, IQ tuning, and working closely with perception, ML, and software teams to build a robust, scalable Kodiak driver. In this role, you will: Own camera-based perception pipelines from sensor selection to production deployment Evaluate and select camera sensors, modules, and optics based on system and application requirements Tune and optimize ISP pipelines (image quality, color, HDR, noise, latency, synchronization) for machine and human consumption Work with perception and software teams to deploy next-generation camera system Run hands on testing in the field to troubleshoot camera system issues and test next-gen hardware Debug camera issues across the from sensor to ISP Drive design decisions around compression and sensor synchronization Manage relationships with suppliers and external partners Research and evaluate emerging imaging technologies What You’ll Bring: Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field 7+ years of experience in camera, computer vision, or perception engineering Strong experience with testing and selecting camera sensors and complete camera modules Understanding of image signal processing (ISP) pipelines — familiarity with auto white balance, auto exposure, tone mapping, and how ISP tuning affects downstream perception Basic understanding of computer vision and ML fundamentals Hands-on experience developing and deploying camera pipelines for robotics Basic software engineering skills in C++ and/or Python Ability to collaborate effectively with hardware, systems, and software teams Nice to haves: Experience in robotics, autonomous systems, AR/VR, or advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) Experience with challenging imaging conditions and understanding of how image quality maps to perception performance Experience with camera system integration — understanding data interfaces, bandwidth constraints, latency requirements, and how imaging subsystems integrate into larger robotic platforms. 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 located in Mountain View, CA 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 through Cigna, Calm through Kaiser, One Medical, Gympass, Spring Health through Cigna, Rula (mental health navigation) Fidelity 401(k) Commuter,