---
title: 'Senior/Staff Software Engineer – Localization (Visual Odometry) at Gatik AI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-staff-software-engineer-localization-visual-odometry-gatik-ai-santa-clara-1npx84m8kdk2'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-12'
---

# Senior/Staff Software Engineer – Localization (Visual Odometry) at Gatik AI

- **Company:** Gatik AI
- **Location:** Santa Clara, CA
- **Posted:** 2025-08-08
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-12
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/gatikaiinc/jobs/4591317006?gh_jid=4591317006

## Job description

## Who we are

Gatik, the leader in autonomous middle-mile logistics, is revolutionizing the B2B supply chain with its autonomous transportation-as-a-service (ATaaS) solution and prioritizing safe, consistent deliveries while streamlining freight movement by reducing congestion. The company focuses on short-haul, B2B logistics for Fortune 500 retailers and in 2021 launched the world’s first fully driverless commercial transportation service with Walmart. Gatik's Class 3-7 autonomous trucks are commercially deployed across major markets, including Texas, Arkansas, and Ontario, Canada, driving innovation in freight transportation.

The company's proprietary Level 4 autonomous technology, Gatik Carrier™, is custom-built to transport freight safely and efficiently between pick-up and drop-off locations on the middle mile. With robust capabilities in both highway and urban environments, Gatik Carrier™ serves as an all-encompassing solution that integrates advanced software and hardware powering the fleet, facilitating effortless integration into customers' logistics operations.

## About the role

We are looking for a Senior or Staff Software Engineer with a strong background in Visual Odometry (VO) and Localization to join our autonomy team. This role is critical to building precise, real-time vehicle localization systems using camera-based perception for autonomous driving applications. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience deploying VO systems in real-world environments, particularly in the autonomous vehicle (AV) domain, and brings solid C++ engineering skills to architect robust, high-performance software solutions.

This role is onsite 5 days per week at our Santa Clara, CA office.

## What you'll do

- Design and develop real-time Visual Odometry pipelines using monocular, stereo, or RGB-D camera inputs.
- Implement robust camera-based localization algorithms, including visual-inertial odometry (VIO), feature tracking, motion estimation, and scale recovery.
- Integrate VO systems with IMU, GPS, and other sensor data to enhance pose estimation accuracy and stability.
- Collaborate with the mapping, perception, and control teams to integrate localization with the AV software stack.
- Develop and optimize production-quality code in modern C++ for real-time performance on embedded compute platforms.
- Analyze system performance in diverse environmental conditions and drive improvements for reliability, accuracy, and robustness.
- Participate in code reviews, mentor team members, and contribute to architectural decisions.
- Stay up to date with the latest research in SLAM, VIO, and VO, and help transition promising techniques into production

## What we're looking for

- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
- 5+ years of experience in robotics, computer vision, or autonomy; 3+ years specifically in Visual Odometry or VIO.
- Experience working on Autonomous Vehicle platforms (e.g., development, testing, or deployment of AV systems).
- Expert proficiency in C++ (C++14/17/20) and modern software engineering best practices.
- Solid understanding of epipolar geometry, camera calibration, bundle adjustment, and optimization techniques.
- Hands-on experience with open-source VO/SLAM libraries such as ORB-SLAM, VINS-Fusion, OpenVINS, or similar.
- Experience working with ROS/ROS2, Linux development environments, and version control systems.

Bonus Qualifications

- Experience integrating visual odometry with Lidar, GPS, or map-based localization.
- Knowledge of GPU acceleration techniques (CUDA/OpenCV/OpenGL) for computer vision pipelines.
- Familiarity with real-world deployment constraints such as environmental variability, sensor degradation, and compute limitations.
- Experience in sensor calibration, time synchronization, and data preprocessing pipelines.
- Contributions to relevant open-source projects or publications in VO, VIO, or SLAM.

Salary Range - $170,000- $260,000

More about Gatik

Founded in 2017 by experts in autonomous vehicle technology, Gatik has rapidly expanded its presence to Mountain View, Dallas-Fort Worth, Arkansas, and Toronto. As the first and only company to achieve fully driverless middle-mile commercial deliveries, Gatik holds a unique and defensible position in the AV industry, with a clear trajectory toward sustainable growth and profitability.

We have delivered complete, proprietary AV technology - an integration of software and hardware - to enable earlier successes for our clients in constrained Level 4 autonomy.  By choosing the middle mile – with defined point-to-point delivery, we have simplified some of the more complex AV challenges, enabling us to achieve full autonomy ahead of competitors. Given extensive knowledge of Gatik’s well-defined, fixed route ODDs and hybrid architecture, we are able to hyper-optimize our models with exponentially less data, establish gate-keeping mechanisms to maintain explainability, and ensure continued safety of the system for unmanned operations.

Visit us at [Gatik](http://gatik.ai/) for more company information and [Careers at Gatik](https://gatik.ai/careers/) for more open roles.

Notable News

- Bloomberg: [Autonomous Trucking Firm Gatik Inks Contracts Worth $600 Million](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-27/autonomous-trucking-firm-gatik-inks-contracts-worth-600-million)
- Forbes: [Hundreds’ Of Gatik Robot Delivery Trucks Headed For U.S. Roads](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2026/01/28/hundreds-of-gatik-robot-delivery-trucks-headed-for-us-roads/?utm_campaign=ForbesMainLI&utm_source=ForbesMainLinkedIn&utm_medium=social)
- Forbes:[Gatik And Loblaw Announce Largest Commercial Deployment Of AV Trucks](https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardbishop1/2025/09/23/gatik-and-loblaw-announce-largest-commercial-deployment-of-av-trucks/)
- Forbes: [Forget robotaxis. Upstart Gatik sees middle-mile deliveries as the path to profitable AVs](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2023/09/05/forget-robotaxis-upstart-gatik-sees-middle-mile-deliveries-as-the-path-to-profitable-avs/?sh=52b7a7866e61)
- Tech Brew: [Gatik AI exec unpacks the regulations that could shape the AV industry](https://www.emergingtechbrew.com/stories/2024/09/06/gatik-ai-richard-steiner-regulations-av-industry)
- Business Wire: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241008155613/en/Gatik-Paves-the-Way-for-Safe-Driverless-Operations-%E2%80%98Freight-Only%E2%80%99-at-Scale-with-Industry-First-Third-Party-Safety-Assessment-Framework
- Auto Futures: [Autonomous Trucking Group Gatik Secures Investment From NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS](https://www.autofutures.tv/news-features/autonomous-trucking-group-gatik-secures-investment-from-nippon-express-holdings/s/e125e5df-220b-42b6-b2df-754f54d602a9)
- Automotive News: [Gatik foresees hundreds of self-driving trucks on road soon, and that's just the beginning](https://www.autonews.com/mobility-report/gatik-prepares-launch-self-driving-trucks-scale)
- Forbes: [Isuzu And Gatik Go All In To Scale Up Driverless Freight Services](https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardbishop1/2024/05/30/isuzu-and-gatik-go-all-in-to-scale-up-driverless-freight-services/)
- Bloomberg: [Autonomous Vehicle Startup Takes Off by Picking Off Easier Routes](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-05-24/autonomous-vehicle-startup-takes-off-by-picking-off-easier-routes)
- Reuters: [Driverless vehicles on limited routes bump along despite US robotaxi scrutiny](https://www.reuters.com/technology/driverless-vehicles-limited-routes-bump-along-despite-us-robotaxi-scrutiny-2023-12-13/)

Taking care of our team

At Gatik, we connect people of extraordinary talent and experience to an opportunity to create a more resilient supply chain and contribute to our environment’s sustainability. We are diverse in our backgrounds and perspectives yet united by a bold vision and shared commitment to our values. Our culture emphasizes the importance of collaboration, respect and agility.

We at Gatik strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone feels they have opportunities to succeed and grow because we know that together we can do great things. We are committed to an inclusive and diverse team. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, marital status or any legally protected status.

## About Gatik AI

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Gatik operates fully driverless, autonomous middle-mile freight networks for Fortune 50 retailers and consumer brands across North America.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series unknown; $153M total funding)
- **Headquarters**: Mountain View, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2017
- **Founders**: Gautam Narang (CEO), Arjun Narang (CTO), Apeksha Kumavat (Chief Engineer)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Autonomous freight / transportation & logistics
- **Target customers**: B2B – large retailers, grocery chains, eCommerce companies (e.g., Walmart, Loblaw, Kroger, PepsiCo, Tyson Foods)
- **Mission**: “Autonomy should solve real problems today” – deploying safe, commercially viable autonomous trucks for regional delivery networks.

## Products & Services
- **Gatik Driver™**: SAE Level 4 autonomous driving system for medium-duty (Class 6) and heavy-duty (Class 8) trucks, purpose-built for middle-mile logistics (distribution centers to retail locations).
- **Gatik Arena™**: Next-generation simulation platform (unveiled July 2025) for training and validating autonomous systems across millions of driving scenarios.
- **Autonomous Freight-as-a-Service**: Fully managed, driver-out delivery operations for commercial customers, with daily revenue-generating routes.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: $600 million in contracted revenue (as of January 2026, following first fully driverless commercial operations at scale)
- **Total Funding**: $153M (across 11 rounds, per LinkedIn)
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Isuzu (mass production partnership), ITOCHU Corporation, Ryder, Goodyear, NVIDIA (compute architecture), Walmart, Loblaw, PepsiCo, Kroger, Tyson Foods.
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - First U.S. company to operate fully driverless trucks at commercial scale (Jan 2026)
  - Multi-year agreement with PepsiCo (June 2026) – largest autonomous freight deployment to date
  - 5-year expansion deal with Loblaw for 50 autonomous trucks in Greater Toronto Area (Sept 2025)
  - Named to FreightTech 25 list for four consecutive years
  - Forbes “America’s Best Startup Employers” (2024, 2025)
  - Headcount grew 17.6% YoY to ~124 employees (LinkedIn, 2025)

## Competitive Advantages
- **First-mover in commercial driver-out middle-mile**: Only company operating fully driverless trucks daily for Fortune 50 retailers at scale.
- **OEM-backed mass production**: Exclusive partnership with Isuzu to mass produce L4-capable autonomous trucks on a dedicated production line.
- **Safety-first approach**: Industry-first third-party safety assessment framework (Oct 2024) and rigorous validation via Gatik Arena simulation.
- **Deep retailer relationships**: Multi-year contracts with Walmart, Loblaw, Kroger, PepsiCo, Tyson – creating high switching costs and recurring revenue.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale commercial operations**: Expand driverless networks across North America, adding new routes and customers.
- **Mass production readiness**: Work with Isuzu to deliver volume manufacturing of autonomous trucks.
- **Geographic expansion**: Deeper presence in Canada (Loblaw) and entry into Japan via ITOCHU partnership.
- **Continuous safety & validation**: Leverage Gatik Arena to accelerate deployment of new scenarios while maintaining safety certification.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & values**: “Be Builders, Be Agile, Be Relentless, Be United, Be Bold” – emphasis on disciplined engineering, real-world impact, and team collaboration.
- **Work environment**: Office-first culture with pet-friendly offices, daily catered lunches, fully stocked kitchens, and collaborative spaces. Locations include Mountain View (CA), Dallas (TX), Detroit (MI), Phoenix (AZ), Bentonville (AR), Toronto (ON), and others.
- **Benefits**: Competitive salaries, stock options, 401(k) with match, comprehensive health/wellness benefits, paid parental leave, company events/retreats.
- **Engineering focus**: Hands-on work in autonomy, robotics, simulation, and vehicle operations. Team includes engineers from Waymo, Zoox, Aurora, TuSimple, Nuro, and top universities.
- **Growth trajectory**: Rapidly scaling company with proven commercial traction – employees directly shape the future of autonomous freight.

## Sources
1. [gatik.ai](https://gatik.ai/)
2. [archive.gatik.ai/careers](https://archive.gatik.ai/careers/)
3. [archive.gatik.ai/about](https://archive.gatik.ai/about/)
4. [linkedin.com/company/gatik_ai](https://www.linkedin.com/company/gatik_ai)
5. [cbinsights.com/company/gatik-ai](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/gatik-ai)

## Other roles at Gatik AI

- [Machine Learning Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/machine-learning-engineer-gatik-ai-santa-clara-qj4vvbdeqt4x) — Santa Clara, CA
- [V&V Systems Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/v-v-systems-lead-gatik-ai-santa-clara-tfgt8wmcztwz) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior V&V Engineer – Public Road & Fleet Testing](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-v-v-engineer-public-road-fleet-testing-gatik-ai-santa-clara-bve2atgs8cqk) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior V&V Engineer – Closed Course & Proving Grounds](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-v-v-engineer-closed-course-proving-grounds-gatik-ai-santa-clara-4a4kcs7rpaen) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior V&V Engineer – Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) & Simulation](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-v-v-engineer-software-in-the-loop-sil-simulation-gatik-ai-santa-clara-xjwtpfs7wyrd) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior V&V Engineer – Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) & Test Bench](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-v-v-engineer-hardware-in-the-loop-hil-test-bench-gatik-ai-santa-clara-fm56h6jvepv5) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior Systems & Safety Engineer – Drive-by-Wire](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-systems-safety-engineer-drive-by-wire-gatik-ai-santa-clara-74kmg22m7ywj) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior Systems & Safety Engineer – Hardware](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-systems-safety-engineer-hardware-gatik-ai-santa-clara-np3zzg37tvdm) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior Systems & Safety Engineer – Autonomy](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-systems-safety-engineer-autonomy-gatik-ai-santa-clara-hmkad9gvzetc) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior Systems & Safety Engineer – AI/ML](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-systems-safety-engineer-ai-ml-gatik-ai-santa-clara-037h7rjt7fad) — Santa Clara, CA