Senior Software Engineer, Controls (MATLAB) at Kodiak
Mountain View, CA
$190,000–$260,000
Jul 20, 2026
Mountain View, CA
Jul 22, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
This role sits within the Motion Planning & Controls team and centers on designing and implementing control, feedback, and actuation systems for fully autonomous semi-trucks operating on public roads. The work spans vehicle characterization, model development, redundant and fail-safe control architectures, and safety-critical software built in MATLAB/Simulink with automatic code generation to embedded C/C++. It suits engineers with a strong controls theory background and hands-on experience tuning controllers for autonomous or automotive platforms.
Senior level · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA · Full-time
Pay in the description: $190,000–$260,000
“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 170 people in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area plausibly meet what this posting asks for (software developers). range 130–220
Applicant volume Moderate — A normal amount of company. The rare requirements below are what will separate a shortlisted application from the rest.
Rare in this occupation — lead with these, and say what you built with them.
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 (7)
The job title 'Controls Software Engineer' carries no explicit seniority level word, so the title states no level; however, the scope (designing and architecting safety-critical production software, vehicle characterization, redundant actuation) and the breadth of required expertise support a Senior classification.
MATLAB and Simulink are listed together under the required 'What you'll bring' section as a single production-level requirement; they are emitted as separate skills because they are distinct tools used together in the stack.
Automatic code generation from MATLAB/Simulink to embedded C/C++ is a required capability; C and C++ are emitted as separate skills since both are named targets of code generation.
Production C++ is listed under 'Bonus points if you have' (the preferred/nice-to-have section), so it is marked preferred even though C/C++ also appears in the required section — the required mention is specifically in the context of generated code from Simulink, while production C++ authorship is the bonus.
HIL testing, CAN/Ethernet low-level drivers, RTOS, and ISO 26262 all appear exclusively under 'Bonus points if you have' and are marked preferred accordingly.
The compensation range ($190,000–$260,000) is stated as a base salary range spanning 'several internal levels' for the SF/Silicon Valley location; actual pay will vary by experience and interview performance.
The posting notes that some roles may require export-license review or U.S. person/citizenship verification due to DoD work, but no formal security clearance is explicitly required to gate this position.
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