Principal Application Software Engineer

Wayve; United States; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Relocation support

Hybrid working

Learning budget

Health insurance

Job summary

Wayve is seeking an experienced Application SW Engineer to lead bring-up and validation of our AI software on automotive hardware. You will configure Linux-based systems, work with QNX and Adaptive AUTOSAR, and ensure robust integration with CI/CD and test infrastructure across platforms from NVIDIA Drive to Tier 1 partners.

Expect a role with hands-on hardware work, cross-team collaboration, and leadership responsibilities to help grow the team while delivering reliable, safe autonomous

Qualifications

• 8+ years of embedded or automotive software development.
• Hands-on platform bring-up experience preferred.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++, Bash and Python with Linux-based embedded systems knowledge (Yocto).
• Familiarity with QNX and Adaptive AUTOSAR environments; automotive-grade SoCs experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead bring-up and validation of AI software stack on customer hardware.
• Integrate and debug drivers, middleware and boot configurations.
• Collaborate with Verification, Release and OEM teams for CI/CD integration and testing.
• Provide technical leadership across integration work and team growth.

Skills

C/C++

Bash

Python

Linux (Yocto)

QNX

Adaptive AUTOSAR

SoCs (NVIDIA Orin)

CAN

Ethernet

CI/CD

Docker

Jenkins

Git

Artifactory

Tools

Docker

Jenkins

Git

JFrog Artifactory

Job description

Before the detail, here's the challenge you'd help us solve.

We build the embodied intelligence that moves real vehicles safely, and the ecosystem a billion machines will run on in the future. Very few people in AI can say this. Every role here, whatever the team, plugs into that.

Here’s what this particular role covers.

About our Engineering Teams

The Application SW team sits within Application Engineering in Product & Delivery. We bridge AI innovation and production vehicles, defining and executing the strategy for integrating Wayve’s autonomy stack into multiple OEM platforms, and working directly with automotive customers, including major Japanese OEMs.

Your day-to-day

As an Application SW Engineer, you’ll be responsible for the bring-up and early validation of our AI software stack on customer hardware platforms, ensuring it performs reliably across diverse SoCs and operating systems. You’ll work closely with Verification, Release and OEM partner teams to make integration smooth and delivery dependable. Your time will be split across platform bring-up and integration, customer and partner engagement, and technical leadership, including helping to build the team.

What you’ll be working on:

• Executing software bring-up on customer hardware platforms (e.g. NVIDIA Drive, Qualcomm Ride).
• Porting and configuring Linux-based systems, QNX and Adaptive AUTOSAR environments.
• Integrating and validating drivers, middleware and boot-time configurations.
• Working with Verification and Release teams to integrate hardware into CI/CD, HIL and test infrastructure.
• Working with OEM and Tier 1 teams to resolve hardware-specific integration issues.
• Implementing system-level diagnostics, logging and secure boot configuration.
• Developing automation for setup, flashing, health checks and test execution on target hardware.
• Defining and executing the strategy for integrating our autonomy stack into multiple OEM platforms.
• Building the team and providing technical leadership across integration work.

You should apply if:

Essential

• 8+ years of experience in embedded or automotive software development, ideally with hands-on platform bring-up experience.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++, Bash, and Python. Deep understanding of Linux-based embedded systems (Yocto, systemd, bootloaders, device trees).
• Familiarity with QNX and Adaptive AUTOSAR environments and the ability to configure and debug them on target hardware. Experience with bring-up on automotive-grade SoCs (e.g., NVIDIA Orin, Qualcomm SA8295/SA8650, Renesas, TI).
• Comfortable working with hardware debuggers, flashing tools, serial consoles, and board support packages (BSPs).
• Familiarity with communication protocols like CAN, Ethernet, PCIe, SPI, I2C.
• Hands-on experience integrating embedded platforms into CI/CD pipelines and test automation frameworks.

Desirable

• Exposure to automotive verification environments (e.g., HIL systems, Vector toolchains, custom CI rigs).
• Experience working in a safety-critical domain with an understanding of ISO 26262, boot-time determinism, and watchdogs.
• Understanding of secure boot, OTA updates, and system-level cybersecurity topics.
• Familiarity with Docker, Jenkins, Git, and artifact management tools like JFrog Artifactory.

Not ticking every box? That’s totally okay! If you’re passionate about autonomy and keen to learn, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every requirement.

More about Wayve

Wayve is building the leading AI platform for autonomous driving. We are pioneering an end to end AI approach that enables vehicles to learn directly from real world experience, developing the ability to adapt, generalise and improve at scale. Instead of relying on hand coded rules or pre mapped environments, our AI Driver learns to drive by understanding the world around it. The result is technology that navigates complex urban environments with intelligence, precision and natural flow, unlocking meaningful advances in both safety and efficiency. We believe autonomy represents a once in a generation transformation in how people and goods move, comparable to the shift from horses to cars, and from human driven vehicles to intelligent machines.

Our ambition is to make autonomy universal. Wayve’s mapless and hardware agnostic AI platform integrates with global OEM partners, enabling continuous software evolution and unlocking advanced levels of automation from L2 plus through to L4 as our core AI model scales. In a race increasingly defined by intelligence and real world learning, Wayve is taking a distinct approach, building a generalisable driving intelligence that can power any vehicle, anywhere. By combining embodied AI with scalable deployment, we are creating technology that can be shaped to each OEM brand and driver experience, accelerating the transition to a safer, more intelligent future of mobility.

How we work - Locations & Flexible Working

Our main hubs are in London, Sunnyvale, Yokohama, Herzliya, Vancouver and Leonberg. We operate a hybrid working model that combines in-person collaboration in our dedicated office spaces with focused time working remotely. This gives our teams the connection and energy of working together, alongside the flexibility to do their best work in a way that fits their lives.

The Interview Process

Our process is clear and respectful of your time:

• Initial call / recruiter screen (30 mins)
• Competency Interviews (Programming ; 1 hours total)
• Deep-dive technical interviews ( Performance System/low-level Linux, system design and technical leadership, depending on level; 3 hours total)
• Final interview: mission & values alignment (1 hour).

We’ll always explain the format and work around your availability.

What’s in it for you (Location dependant)

• Salaries benchmarked against the market annually
• Meaningful equity, sharing in the ownership and long term success of Wayve
• Relocation support and visa sponsorship where applicable
• Hybrid working, core hours and the chance to work hands on in vehicle workshops and labs
• Learning and development budgets with support for training, conferences and growth
• Comprehensive benefits including health insurance, dental, enhanced maternity and paternity leave, retirement or pension where applicable, access to therapists, wellbeing partnerships, team socials and more

Wayve is committed to providing a fair and respectful recruitment process for all candidates, free from harassment and discrimination.

The Company has zero tolerance for sexual harassment against job applicants or similar individuals.

• All communications relating to recruitment activities are conducted through the Company's recruitment system or using an email address with the Company's domain. Employees do not use their personal email addresses or social media accounts for recruitment-related communications.
• Employees do not engage in private communications unrelated to recruitment activities, invite applicants to private meals, request or seek a personal or romantic relationship, or otherwise initiate private contact with applicants.
• Sexual remarks or conduct, physical contact, questions concerning sexual matters, and any other conduct constituting harassment are prohibited.
• If you have any concerns, you can contact our consultation desk at [e-mail]. All consultations are treated with strict confidentiality, your privacy will be protected, and no one will be subject to any disadvantageous treatment for raising a concern or cooperating with an inquiry.

A quick, honest note before you apply.

Wayve is not a mature, fully-structured place with the playbook already written. Much of how we work is still being written, and if you join, you’ll help write it. That suits people who want real ownership more than people who need a settled structure from day one.

At Wayve we're committed to creating a diverse, fair and respectful culture that is inclusive of everyone based on their unique skills and perspectives, and regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding) or any other basis as protected by applicable law.

For more information visit Careers at Wayve. To learn more about what drives us, visit Values at Wayve

DISCLAIMER: We will not ask about marriage or pregnancy, care responsibilities or disabilities in any of our job adverts or interviews. However, we do look to capture information about care responsibilities, and disabilities among other diversity information as part of an optional DEI Monitoring form to help us identify areas of improvement in our hiring process and ensure that the process is inclusive and non-discriminatory.