Senior Electrical Engineer — VETi Platform

Kodiak Sciences (Nasdaq: KOD) is advancing vision science by integrating retinal biology, optics, artificial intelligence, medical imaging, and next-generation wearable technologies. Our VETi™ — Visual Engagement Technology and Imager — platform is an AI-enabled wearable system combining advanced LiDAR, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), embedded computing, machine learning, and AR/VR technologies. VETi is being developed for applications in retina care, digital health, identity security, cognitive science, and broader AI-enabled vision technologies. We are looking for a Senior Electrical Engineer to build the electronics foundation for Kodiak’s VETi platform, from early prototype boards through production-ready hardware. This role is well suited for an engineer with strong analog and digital design fundamentals who enjoys complex hardware–software systems and is excited to build electronics that enable advanced medical imaging and wearable technologies. We are interested in strong electrical engineers who are curious about medical imaging and motivated to work on advanced wearable technologies. This role is on-site in Palo Alto. Responsibilities Lead the design, development, and validation of analog and digital electronics for wearable imaging and sensing systems — from prototype through production. Architect advanced computing platforms based on FPGA, CPU, NPU, and GPU subsystems for high-speed signal and AI processing. Develop motion-control hardware with real-time, closed-loop feedback for actuator and robotics applications. Develop Verilog or SystemVerilog designs for FPGAs supporting real-time signal processing and AI inference. Design high-speed interfaces (PCIe Gen4, DDR4 SDRAM, USB-C, high-speed ADC/DAC), including signal integrity, power integrity, and EMC analysis. Bring up new boards and debug hardware, FPGA, and system-level issues across the stack. Collaborate with optics, mechanical, firmware, software, and systems engineering teams. Education / Qualifications B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience. 5+ years of professional electrical engineering experience developing complex systems. Strong analog and digital circuit design experience, with proficiency in schematic capture and PCB layout tools (Altium, Cadence, or similar) and lab debugging instruments (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers). Strong FPGA design experience in Verilog or SystemVerilog, including RTL development, simulation, synthesis, and timing closure on Xilinx/AMD or Intel/Altera platforms. Experience designing high-speed interfaces (PCIe Gen4, DDR4 SDRAM, USB-C, high-speed ADC/DAC). Ability to collaborate across hardware, software, scientific, and engineering teams. Additional Experience That Would Be Valuable Experience with edge AI hardware (NPU/GPU/DSP integration or AI inference accelerators). Experience with imaging sensors, LiDAR, OCT, MEMS, or other optical sensors. Experience with low-power design for wearable or battery-powered systems. Experience taking electronics from prototype through DFM/DFT to mass production. Familiarity with regulated medical-device hardware development (IEC 60601, ISO 13485, FDA), or willingness to learn. Why Join Kodiak This role is for engineers who want their designs to drive real-world physical systems — optics, sensors, and embedded computing — and shape the hardware itself. You will work at the intersection of software, hardware, medical imaging, optics, AR/VR, LiDAR, OCT, and AI. The platform is novel, the technical challenges are deep, and the work has the potential to shape a new class of wearable vision technologies.