Senior Onboard Infrastructure Software Engineer at Kodiak
Mountain View, CA
$150,000–$220,000
Jul 20, 2026
Mountain View, CA
Jul 22, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
This role centers on building the low-level software infrastructure that powers autonomous trucks — including a real-time operating system, core libraries in modern C++, and high-performance compute and network systems. The work involves integrating embedded devices, AI hardware, and sensors such as lidar, cameras, and radar into a reliable, production-grade platform. It suits an experienced systems software engineer comfortable with Linux, large-scale performance challenges, and deploying software on physical robots.
Senior level · 5+ years · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA · Full-time
Pay in the description: $150,000–$220,000
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Roughly 2,700 people in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area plausibly meet what this posting asks for (software developers). range 2,000–3,500
Applicant volume Moderate — A normal amount of company. The rare requirements below are what will separate a shortlisted application from the rest.
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $217,796 (middle half $177,469–$231,052). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (8)
The job title carries no seniority level, but the 5+ years requirement and scope of owning core infrastructure design and implementation support a Senior classification.
The posted pay range ($150,000–$220,000/year) is described as spanning 'several internal levels' in the SF/Silicon Valley area; actual pay will vary by experience and level.
Degree requirement is listed as 'BS, MS, or equivalent,' so equivalent experience is explicitly accepted — no minimum degree is hard-gated.
Network protocols (TCP, UDP, PTP) are listed together under 'Nice to have'; emitted as a single preferred skill with alternatives since they represent interchangeable protocol knowledge in context.
Sensor experience (lidars, cameras, radars) is listed under 'Nice to have'; emitted as a single preferred skill with alternatives.
Performance tooling (perf, trace tools, memory profilers) is listed under 'Nice to have'; 'perf' is used as the canonical name representing this category — trace tools and memory profilers are generic descriptors rather than named products and are not separately emitted.
High-throughput storage/database systems and operating systems/build systems background appear under 'Nice to have' but name no specific technology, so they are omitted per the no-generic-concepts rule.
The posting notes that some roles may require export license review or U.S. person status verification due to DoD work, but no formal security clearance is hard-gated.
Read the full posting
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