Joblaze summary

The Staff Harness Engineering Manager at Kodiak Robotics is responsible for leading the technical strategy and architecture of wire harness design for autonomous vehicles, ensuring alignment across various engineering teams. This role requires deep expertise in electrical harness design and a strong background in hardware development, particularly in safety-critical industries. Ideal candidates will have significant experience in technical leadership and mentoring, along with a hands-on approach to problem-solving. Kodiak's focus on innovation in autonomous transportation adds a dynamic element to the team's mission.

Joblaze insights

Listed about a month ago — first seen on Joblaze September 3, 2026. Last confirmed on Kodiak Robotics's careers page October 27, 2026.
Salary band is above the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$129,022).
Starts above 66% of 230 comparable lead other roles in United States we track (median $150,000 across 78 companies).
Electrical Engineering appears in 2.3% of 639 comparable lead other roles in United States; Aerospace appears in 0.2% of 639 comparable lead other roles in United States.

Quick facts

Is the Staff, Harness Engineering Manager role remote?: No — this is an on-site role in Mountain View, CA.
What's the salary range?: Kodiak Robotics lists $170,000–$235,000 for this role.
How much experience is required?: At least 10 years of relevant experience for this Staff, Harness Engineering Manager role.
Where is the role based?: Kodiak Robotics is hiring for this position in Mountain View, CA.
What's the tech stack?: Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Aerospace, Automotive, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, autonomous vehicles.
Does Kodiak Robotics sponsor work visas for this role?: Yes — the posting indicates visa sponsorship is available for the right candidate.
What seniority level is this role?: Kodiak Robotics targets lead candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?: Full-time for this Staff, Harness Engineering Manager role at Kodiak Robotics.

From the original posting

Kodiak AI, Inc. (Nasdaq: KDK), founded in 2018, is a leader in Physical AI, developing driverless technology that powers machines that move. Its Kodiak Driver is a vehicle-agnostic autonomous driving system that combines AI-powered software with modular hardware. Today it operates in long-haul trucking, industrial trucking, and defense. In 2024, Kodiak launched commercial Driver-as-a-Service operations with no one in the cab, and plans to launch driverless long-haul service between Dallas and Houston by the end of 2026.

We're seeking a Lead Harness Engineer/Manager to lead harness architecture and strategy for our autonomous vehicle platform. This is a hands on role who owns the technical direction for harness design across the full vehicle system — high speed, low voltage, and high power — and sets the standards, processes, and supplier relationships that the harness engineering function runs on. You'll drive cross-functional alignment with electrical, mechanical, integration, and manufacturing teams, and mentor engineers building toward those standards.

In this role, you will:

Own the technical strategy and architecture for wire harness and subassembly design across the vehicle platform, balancing high speed, low voltage, and high power requirements
Set and enforce design standards, review processes, and DFM/DFA practices for harness schematics, diagrams, and system interconnect diagrams
Drive make/buy and supplier strategy for harness manufacturing; own key external manufacturing partner relationships and scale-up readiness
Lead trade studies on harness architecture (topology, routing, connector strategy, EMI/signal integrity tradeoffs) with system-level cost, weight, and reliability impact
Own full program lifecycle governance: technical reviews, DVP&R, outsourced cable manufacturing, qualification testing, and release
Lead or oversee root cause analysis on complex/escalated electrical system issues; drive corrective and preventive action across teams
Define and champion automated harness validation tooling and test strategy
Mentor and provide technical leadership to harness and electrical engineers and directly manage a harness engineering team
Represent harness engineering in cross-functional and executive-level design reviews with Software, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Systems, and external suppliers

What you'll bring:

BS or MS in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience
10+ years of hardware development experience, including automotive, aerospace, or related safety-critical industries, with a track record of technical leadership
Deep expertise in electrical harness design, architecture, and manufacturing at the system level
Proven experience setting design/quality standards and mentoring or leading engineers or teams
Strong troubleshooting skillset with hands-on root cause analysis experience
Expert familiarity with IPC quality standards (IPC/WHMA-A-620, etc.) and their application to program-level quality processes
Experience with implementation and on-vehicle debugging of low-level hardware buses (CAN, Ethernet, LIN)
Demonstrated ability to lead supplier negotiations and manage external manufacturing partnerships
Hands-on. Comfortable in the shop debugging a subsystem and in the room driving architecture decisions
Excellent communicator — experience writing and reviewing clear, concise technical documentation and presenting to leadership
Passion for autonomous vehicles and their potential impact

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, FSA, Dependent Care FSA, HSA
Various incentive programs (referral bonuses, patent bonuses, etc.)

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

$170,000—$235,000 USD

Standard company text repeated across Kodiak Robotics's postings is omitted here.

Staff, Harness Engineering Manager

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