Senior Virtual Cloud Engineer (MUST HAVE Android Cuttlefish and QEMU); automotive experience

Volkswagen AG; Belmont (CA); Hybrid; USD 159,000 - 286,000; Full time

Job summary

Volkswagen Group in Belmont, CA is seeking a Senior Virtual Cloud Engineer to lead virtualization of an Android Automotive infotainment ECU, hosting it in the cloud for on-demand development across brands. The role focuses on building scalable virtual devices with Cuttlefish/QEMU, Docker/Kubernetes on AWS or Google Cloud, and coordinating with the RV Tech JV and suppliers.

The ideal candidate has 8–10+ years in software/cloud/virtualization, strong C/C++ and Python, AAOS experience, and a track

Qualifications

• 8–10+ years of software, cloud, or virtualization engineering.
• Hands-on with building and operating virtual devices on Cuttlefish and QEMU.
• Experience in infotainment or connectivity for vehicles.
• Strong AAOS/Linux knowledge; Android Automotive OS exposure.
• Cloud at scale using Docker and Kubernetes; CI/CD and observability.
• Knowledge of in-vehicle networking (Ethernet, SOME/IP, CAN) for virtualization.

Responsibilities

• Lead virtualization strategy for AAOS infotainment ECU using Android Cuttlefish and QEMU with supporting stack.
• Define hardware abstraction and virtio peripherals, ensuring fidelity to hardware.
• Coordinate with multiple brands, suppliers, and RV Tech JV to align requirements.

Skills

Android Cuttlefish

QEMU

Cloud engineering

Docker

Kubernetes

C/C++

Python

AAOS

Automotive Ethernet

SOME/IP/CAN

CI/CD

Education

BS in Engineering

MS/PhD in Engineering

Tools

crosvm

KVM

virtio

AVD/Android Emulator

OpenTelemetry

ELK Grafana

AWS

Google Cloud

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

Senior Virtual Cloud Engineer (MUST HAVE Android Cuttlefish and QEMU); automotive experience

Worldwide, the Volkswagen Group has a long tradition of dramatic innovations. The Volkswagen Group with its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany is one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. The Group comprises twelve brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN.

Brief Role Description

This is a HYBRID position in Belmont, CA. If you are not local to the Belmont area, you must be open to relocation to be considered.

The Senior Virtual Cloud Engineer leads the creation and cloud deployment of a virtual Android Automotive (AAOS) infotainment ECU. The role entails designing a high-fidelity virtual representation of the head-unit software stack and hosting it in the cloud, enabling engineering teams across Volkswagen Group brands and regions to develop against it on demand, without the need for physical hardware. Virtualization and cloud delivery are central to the position: the engineer transforms a physical infotainment ECU into a scalable, globally accessible service and coordinates the brands, suppliers, platform providers, and partners — including the RV Tech (Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies) joint venture — required to deliver this capability.

The position forms part of the worldwide connectivity technical team and interfaces with multiple stakeholders across the Volkswagen Group technical organization. The engineer investigates and contributes to the development of new architectures for connected systems targeted to the US market.

Role Responsibilities

• Lead the virtualization strategy for the AAOS infotainment ECU, building configurable virtual devices on Android Cuttlefish and QEMU — together with the supporting stack of crosvm, KVM, virtio, and AVD/Android Emulator — that reproduce the production head-unit software stack and boot sequence.
• Define hardware and HAL abstraction, virtio-backed virtual peripherals (display, audio, touch, GNSS, modem), and the timing and determinism controls required to maintain fidelity with physical hardware.
• Model the in-vehicle environment on which the infotainment ECU depends — Automotive Ethernet, SOME/IP, and CAN — such that the virtual ECU behaves as it would within the vehicle.

Cloud Platform & Global Access – (30%)

• Lead the cloud platform that hosts virtual ECUs at scale — containerized and orchestrated with Docker and Kubernetes on AWS or Google Cloud — providing on-demand instances and remote access for distributed teams.
• Integrate CI/CD pipelines such that software builds deploy onto cloud-hosted virtual ECUs automatically, and establish observability, artifact management, and capacity planning for the virtual-device fleet.

Coordination & Technical Leadership – (20%)

• Coordinate across Volkswagen Group brands, Tier 1/2 suppliers, platform providers, and the RV Tech joint venture to align virtual-ECU requirements and adoption, while leading technical discussions and negotiations.
• Serve as the team’s principal point of technical reference for ECU virtualization and cloud delivery, mentoring engineers and establishing best practices.

Validation Enablement – (15%)

• Ensure the virtual platform supports software validation — communication bring-up (SOME/IP, DoIP, UDS), diagnostics, and automated test execution — enabling defects to be identified earlier than on HIL or in-vehicle.

Qualification requirements

Years of Relevant Experience - REQUIRED

• 8–10+ years of software, cloud, or virtualization engineering, with deep hands‑on experience building and operating virtual devices on Cuttlefish and QEMU, ideally for infotainment or connectivity functions at a vehicle manufacturer or supplier. Demonstrated experience leading platform efforts and coordinating across teams and partners.

Education

Required

• BS in Engineering
• MS and/or PhD in Engineering

Specialized Skills

Required

• Extensive hands‑on experience with Android Cuttlefish and QEMU, and the supporting virtualization stack (crosvm, KVM, virtio, AVD/Android Emulator), used to build and operate virtual devices.
• A strong background in Android Automotive OS (AAOS) and/or Linux or QNX infotainment software stacks.
• Proven cloud engineering at scale, encompassing Docker and Kubernetes, CI/CD, and a major cloud provider (AWS or Google Cloud), together with observability.
• A working knowledge of in-vehicle connectivity (Automotive Ethernet/SOME/IP, CAN/CAN‑FD, DoIP/UDS) sufficient to virtualize and validate it.
• A demonstrated track record of leading technical efforts and coordinating across software, cloud, manufacturing, and supplier teams.
• Proficiency in C/C++ and Python, with familiarity in Java.
• Excellent communication, coordination, and negotiation skills.
• Experience scaling Cuttlefish or QEMU virtual devices across Kubernetes‑based farms with observability (OpenTelemetry, ELK/Grafana).
• Contributions to AOSP or Cuttlefish, or experience extending QEMU/crosvm device models and ARM/aarch64 system emulation.
• Qualcomm VSOC (Virtual System‑on‑Chip) experience — advantageous but not required.
• Security validated within virtual environments (SecOC, TLS/mTLS).
• Familiarity with the RV Tech SDV/zonal architecture and Volkswagen Group product requirements.
• Familiarity with automotive validation and coverage tooling as a complement to the platform.

Required General Skills and Work Flexibility

Skills:

• Analytical and conceptual thinking
• Strategic and visionary mindset
• Communication skills — interpersonal, presentation, and written
• Integration — joining people, processes, and systems
• Cross‑functional leadership and negotiation

Work Flexibility: Physical requirements, travel requirements, work schedule, etc.

• Accommodation for working time‑zone differences between international locations as needed.
• Travel is estimated to be 10%.
• Role requires flexibility in daily schedule, including early morning meetings with Europe and afternoons/evenings for the US West Coast or Asia.
• Travel is expected regularly to local development teams and partners <20 miles from work location.

Compensation Data

This position is located in Belmont, CA. The pay range for this location is $159,000 - $286,200.

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Volkswagen Group of America is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds, and do not discriminate based on race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, color, gender identity/expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable laws.

This role description is a guideline and does not create contractual rights between the Company and any of its applicants. The Company does not enter into any type of employment contract, implied or written, with its applicants regarding job security.

This Organization participates in E-Verify. We maintain a drug free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.

Job ID: 29889

Company: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Location: Belmont, CA, US, 94002

Department: Research and Development

Working Model: Full-time

Contract Type: Unlimited

Remote Working: Up to 20%

Join the New Volkswagen team.

If you aspire to be part of the mobility of the future, Volkswagen is for you. We are the ideal match for people with a passion for innovation, oriented to achieve sustainable results, and who can work in a team generating positive and collaborative work environments. Here is your next challenge.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc., an operating unit of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWoA) is headquartered in Reston, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. VWoA’s operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its stateof‑theart manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Nearest Major Market: San Francisco
Nearest Secondary Market: Oakland

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