Gatik
Senior V&V Engineer – Closed Course & Proving Grounds
$160K–$260K
Santa Clara, CA +1 · Senior · Full-time · Posted Sep 4, 2026
- Location
- Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara, California, United States - Experience
- 5+ years executing vehicle-level closed-course testing on proving grounds for AVs, ADAS, or automotive OEMs.
- Education
- B.S. in Automotive Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or Systems Engineering.
About the job
Leads physical closed-course testing of autonomous commercial vehicles to validate software, hardware, vehicle performance, and safety requirements.
What you'll do
- Plan and execute end-to-end proving-ground test programs for software features, hardware platforms, and safety-critical fallback maneuvers.
- Set up and operate proving-ground equipment, including soft-target robotic platforms; develop test coverage and track issues through resolution.
- Analyze vehicle dynamics data, IMU outputs, CAN logs, and autonomy telemetry, while enforcing track safety procedures.
What they ask for
- B.S. in Automotive Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or Systems Engineering.
- Direct experience operating soft-target robotic platforms.
- Proficiency with automotive data acquisition tools: CANoe, CANape, Dewesoft, and Wireshark.
- Strong Python scripting skills for log parsing and test metrics, and demonstrated adherence to proving-ground safety and risk-mitigation practices.
Nice to have
- Experience testing commercial trucks or heavy machinery.
- Knowledge of ISO 26262 track validation and UNECE / NCAP active safety test protocols.
Pay
$160,000- $260,000 (base salary)
Tools
Python, MATLAB, CANoe, CANape, Dewesoft, Wireshark, IMU, CAN
AI focus
Validates autonomous vehicle software and safety performance through physical closed-course testing.
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative