Winter 2027 Intern, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning

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 highly skilled AI/ML Intern with a solid grasp of Computer Vision and Foundation Models, to tackle real-world challenges in robotics. The perfect candidate for our team is someone who embodies a proactive, can-do mindset, tackling tasks with enthusiasm and persistence. We expect our interns to not only excel in their field but also to rapidly adapt and thrive in our fast-paced, innovative environment. This role is ideal for individuals eager to demonstrate their expertise and eager to grow in a cutting-edge technological setting.

In this role, you will:

• Design and implement state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms using robust, efficient Python code, ensuring high-quality evaluations and reliability.
• Lead the development of innovative deep neural networks to address key robotics problems, such as end-to-end learning, 3d scene understanding, 3D object detection, 3D world reconstruction, and self-supervised learning.
• Work with various sensor technologies like cameras, lidars, and radars to create and refine machine learning datasets, enhancing performance with growing data.
• Develop and manage automated AI flywheel, ensuring seamless integration and efficiency in the machine learning process.
• Work within Kodiak's advanced software ecosystem, pushing the frontiers of existing autonomous systems through continuous innovation and development.

What you’ll bring:

• Strong technical background. You are currently pursuing an MS or Ph.D. and have hands-on experience in designing and implementing deep neural networks; exceptional candidates pursuing a BS are considered. 
• You are a skilled engineer with experience in applied AI research, Python programming, and strong problem-solving skills.
• You are passionate about solving real-world robotics problems, and you have ideally worked on autonomous robots before.
• A team player. You take ownership and work with the team to deliver exceptional results. You are interested in the performance of the entire system across engineering disciplines.
• Ability to build and iterate quickly. You enjoy working fast and smart, and you are comfortable in the earlier stages of developing an algorithm from scratch.
• Hands-on. You are not only passionate about ML research but also experienced working with production machine learning pipelines, from dataset curation to training and validation.
• Great communicator. You have experience writing clear, concise, and detailed design documents. You can enable your colleagues to leverage the ML models resulting from your work in their algorithms and systems.

Internship Program Details:

• Start Date: January 2027
• Our internship program is 12-16 weeks; the end date is flexible based on individual needs.
• Location: Mountain View, CA.
• Housing: Interns are responsible for housing.

What we offer:

• A fast paced environment where we work with talented, committed and supportive teammates.
• Competitive pay.
• Excellent medical, dental and vision benefits.  A beautiful facility in Mountain View.
• We love our dogs, so we are a dog friendly office!
• Free catered lunch.

The pay range listed below reflects the base salary in our SF/Silicon Valley location, across several internal levels. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors including: work location, experience, relevant training, education, skill level and performance during interview. Total compensation at Kodiak includes base pay, equity, bonus and a competitive benefits package

California Pay Range$10,000—$10,000 USD  At Kodiak, we strive to build a diverse community working towards our common company goals in a safe and collaborative environment where harassment of any kind is strictly prohibited. Kodiak is committed to equal opportunity employment regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law.   In alignment with its business operations, Kodiak adheres to all relevant statutes, regulations, and administrative prerequisites. Accordingly, roles that carry more sensitive requirements may be limited to candidates that can satisfy additional scrutiny and eligibility for such positions may hinge on verification of a candidate’s residence, U.S. person status, and/or citizenship status. Should the position require, and Kodiak determines that a candidate’s residence, U.S. person status, and/or citizenship status necessitate an export license, bar the candidate from the position, or otherwise fall under national security-related restrictions, Kodiak will consider the candidate for alternative positions unaffected by such restrictions, under terms and conditions set forth at Kodiak’s sole discretion, or, as an alternative, opt not to proceed with the candidate’s application. If applicable, Kodiak may provide visa sponsorship for eligible candidates.   We use a third-party AI tool (Endorsed) to assist in the initial screening of applications. As part of the evaluation process, we provide Endorsed with job requirements and candidate-submitted applications. Final hiring decisions are made by our human recruitment team, and no automated system makes the ultimate decision regarding hiring. Certain features of the platform may qualify it as an Automated Employment Decision Tool (AEDT) under applicable regulations. We began using Endorsed on January 1, 2026. You can review the independent bias audit report covering our use of Endorsed [here](https://endorsed.com/local-law-144). By submitting your application, you acknowledge that your application may be processed by AI systems as part of the screening and selection process. If you have any questions or would like to request a separate review of your application, please contact careers@kodiak.ai with "Separate Review Request" in the email subject line.