Product Strategy & Operations Associate

Job description

<div class="content-intro"><p>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.<br><br>Kodiak has partnered with many of the biggest names in freight, including Bosch for scaled hardware production, AWS, and leading customers including Atlas Energy Solutions, IKEA, Bridgestone, Werner Enterprises, C.R. England, Roehl Transport, and General Dynamics Land Systems.</p></div><p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We are seeking a sharp, analytical, and hands-on Product Strategy & Operations Associate to join our team in Mountain View, CA. This role sits at the intersection of our Product, Engineering, and Operations teams. You'll bring structured problem-solving and an operations mindset to the questions that shape how autonomous trucks get built, deployed, and scaled, and you'll do it embedded with the people building the product. If you've been working in strategy or operations and want to get closer to product development and a Product & Eng-led organization, this is that move. This role is based full-time in our Mountain View office.</span><br><br><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><strong>In this role, you will:</strong></span></p>
<ul class="ul1">
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><strong>Strategic Problem Solving:</strong> Scope ambiguous, cross-functional problems into clear analyses and recommendations, then drive them through to decisions with Product, Engineering, and Operations leadership.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><strong>Process Design and Scalability:</strong> Partner closely with Program, Engineering, and Ops to design, document, and stand up processes that support operational scalability for our autonomous vehicle technology.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><strong>Feedback Loop Management:</strong> Own the feedback loop between Field Ops and Product & Engineering, translating operational needs into prioritized, actionable product and engineering requirements.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><strong>Feature Deployment & Validation:</strong> Work with cross-functional teams to rapidly test, validate, and deploy new product features in an operationally-intensive environment.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><strong>Performance Monitoring:</strong> Define operational KPIs, build the analyses that track product performance in the field, and communicate insights and risks to stakeholders.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><strong>Stakeholder Communication:</strong> Provide clear, data-driven updates on product-related operational progress, risks, and mitigation plans to leadership and cross-functional teams.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><strong>Operational Excellence:</strong> Drive attention to detail and timeliness in product deployment and operational workflows.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><strong>Adaptability:</strong> Get gritty and operate in spaces that are not yet well defined and are subject to rapid and unexpected changes.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><strong>What you'll bring:</strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">At least 2 year of post-undergraduate experience in strategy consulting, business operations, or a similar analytical role, e.g., Business Analyst (McKinsey), Associate (BCG), or Associate Consultant (Bain), or an equivalent Strategy & Operations / BizOps role at a technology company.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">A degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent demonstrated rigor in systems thinking and process optimization.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Strong structured problem-solving skills: you can break down an ambiguous question, build the analysis, and land a recommendation.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Highly analytical with a proven ability to use data to drive process improvements and product decisions; comfort working in tools like SQL, Excel/Sheets, or Kibana/Elastic is a plus.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Exceptional attention to detail and a track record of driving timely execution in complex environments.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Outstanding people and communication skills, with demonstrated experience working across diverse teams (e.g., Engineering, Field Operations, Product) and presenting to senior stakeholders.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">A genuine interest in product development and a desire to work alongside Product and Engineering rather than advise from the outside.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Adeptness in leveraging generative AI tools to streamline workflows and enhance clarity and quality in stakeholder communication.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Must be willing to work full-time in the Mountain View, CA office, and travel up to 25% of the time to customer and deployment locations.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Additional experience in the following areas is also a plus:</span><br>
<ul>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Autonomy, mobility, supply chain, logistics, or hardware/manufacturing operations</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Consulting or internship work on product, technology, or operations engagements</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Working in both a startup and a larger company environment</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><strong>What we offer:</strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Competitive compensation package including equity and annual bonuses</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision plans through Kaiser Permanente, Cigna, and  MetLife (including a medical plan with infertility benefits)</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">MetLife Legal Services, Identity & Fraud Protection, Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Accident Insurance, & Critical Illness Insurance</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Flexible PTO, 10 paid holidays, and generous parental leave policies</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Office perks: free catered lunch, a fully stocked kitchen</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability, Life Insurance</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Wellbeing Benefits - Headspace through Cigna, Calm through Kaiser, One Medical, Gympass, Spring Health through Cigna, Rula (mental health navigation) </span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Fidelity 401(k)</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Commuter, FSA, Dependent Care FSA, HSA</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Various incentive programs (referral bonuses, patent bonuses, etc.)</span></li>
</ul><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description"><p>The pay range listed below reflects the base salary <strong data-stringify-type="bold">in our SF/Silicon Valley location, </strong>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</p></div><div class="title">California Pay Range</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$125,000</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$150,000 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><div> </div>
<div>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.</div>
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<div>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.</div>
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<div><em>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](</em><em><a href="https://endorsed.com/local-law-144" target="_blank" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://endorsed.com/local-law-144</a></em><em>). 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 </em><em><a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank" data-sk="tooltip_parent">[email protected]</a></em><em> with "Separate Review Request" in the email subject line.</em></div>
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