EE Architecture Vehicle Design Engineer

Akkodis; Chennai District; On-site; INR 3,000,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Akkodis is seeking an Upstream EE Architecture leader to drive definition of electrical and electronic architecture for automotive platforms in Chennai. You will shape network strategy, power architecture, system integration and scalable SDV architecture, guiding teams across software and hardware interfaces.

The role emphasizes cybersecurity, ISO 26262, ASIL and ISO21434 compliance, and early technology decisions to balance software updates with hardware enhancements across the lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Draft Architecture Specifications (AS) to guide development teams.
• Break down vehicle functions to components/ECUs.
• Define software and physical interfaces for inter-ECU communication.
• Address cybersecurity from early design stages.
• Ensure ISO 26262, ASIL and ISO21434 compliance.

Responsibilities

• Draft the Architecture Specifications (AS) serving as the technical bible.
• Allocate vehicle functions to appropriate ECUs and components.
• Define interfaces to ensure reliable inter-system communication.
• Make technology choices early; balance software updates vs hardware.
• Design scalable EE architecture and support OTA updates.

Skills

Electrical architecture

Cybersecurity

Functional safety

SDV architecture

Architecture definition

Job description

Upstream EE Architecture role focused on upstream Electrical & Electronic Architecture definition, vehicle platform architecture, communication network strategy, power architecture, system integration, cybersecurity, functional safety, and scalable Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) architecture.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the EE architecture master plan:
• Selection of communication networks:
• Automotive Ethernet
• CAN FD
• LIN
• Centralisation of power:
• Transition from a conventional architecture to a zonal architecture
• Centralized architecture around supercomputers
• Manage power distribution, which is crucial in electric vehicles:
• High-voltage architecture (400V / 800V) for traction
• Low-voltage architecture (12V / 48V) for accessories and control units

Architecture Specification & Functional Allocation

• Draft the Architecture Specifications (AS), which will serve as the technical bible for the development teams.
• Break down and assign the vehicle’s functions to the appropriate components or control units
• Define the software and physical (inter-system) interfaces to ensure effective communication between the various control units.

Cybersecurity & Functional Safety

• Address cybersecurity from the early design stage.
• Ensure compliance with functional safety standards:
• ISO 26262
• ASIL
• ISO21434

Technology & Architecture Decisions

• Make technology choices at an early stage.
• Assess the cost-benefit ratio between a software update and the addition of a physical component (hardware).
• Perform architecture decision and trade-off analysis.

Physical Architecture & Optimization

• Work on the layout of electronic control units.
• Support ECU layout and vehicle packaging optimization.

OTA & Scalability

• Design a scalable EE architecture
• Support OTA (Over-The-Air) remote updates
• Enable lifecycle software updates throughout the vehicle lifecycle

Upstream Activities

Upstream activities happen early in the development cycle, before detailed development and testing begin.

• Purpose is to define what needs to be built and how it should be designed.