Staff Software Engineer, Learned & Hybrid Behavior Planning
Kodiak · Mountain View, CA
$240,000–$265,000
Jul 20, 2026
Mountain View, CA
Jul 22, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
This staff-level engineering role focuses on integrating machine learning models into the behavior planning layer of a production autonomous trucking stack. Day-to-day work spans designing integration strategies that blend learned components with classical planning systems, defining safety and validation criteria, and debugging model behavior through simulation and real-world data. It suits engineers with a strong background in autonomy or robotics who can bridge planning and ML disciplines and take on technical leadership responsibilities.
Staff level · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA · Full-time
Pay in the description: $240,000–$265,000
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 1,750 people in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area plausibly meet what this posting asks for (software developers). range 360–2,600
Applicant volume Moderate — A normal amount of company. The rare requirements below are what will separate a shortlisted application from the rest.
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 role sits at the intersection of Planning and Machine Learning for autonomous trucking — a genuine hybrid between 15-1252 (Software Developers) and 15-2051 (Data Scientists/ML). The primary day-to-day work is software engineering and system integration in C++, so 15-1252 is the best fit, with 15-2051 as a meaningful runner-up.
The job title is 'Staff Software Engineer' and the scope (setting direction across Planning and ML teams, mentoring engineers, leading technical designs) is consistent with a Staff-level IC role.
The compensation range ($240,000–$265,000/year) is stated as the SF/Silicon Valley base pay range and covers 'several internal levels'; actual pay may vary by location and experience. Total compensation also includes equity and bonus.
Python is explicitly called 'a plus' in the requirements section, so it is marked as preferred.
The posting references potential export-control and national security screening requirements tied to Kodiak's DoD work, but does not hard-gate on a specific US security clearance.
No minimum total years of experience is stated explicitly; the role is assessed as Staff based on scope and cross-functional leadership expectations rather than a years figure.
Skills such as 'behavior classification', 'actor intent understanding/models', and 'data-driven decision-making' are named in the responsibilities narrative rather than a formal requirements block; they are captured under the broader must-have skills (ML model integration, trajectory prediction) rather than as separate entries, since the requirements block consolidates them under 'learned behavior policies, behavior classification, trajectory prediction, or actor intent models.'
Ignored 2 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): behavior planning, motion planning.
Read the full posting
The employer publishes the full description on their own site — read it there ↗. Or sign in to read it here — it's free, and it also lets you track this application.