Sr. Embedded Software Engineer - Silicon & Sensing Systems

Rivian; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 146,000 - 183,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Insurance benefits

401(k) Plan

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Job summary

Rivian seeks a Senior Silicon Validation Software Engineer to join the Autonomy Hardware and Sensing Systems team in the Bay Area. You will validate Rivian’s next‑generation hardware platform, including the in‑house AI accelerator SoC, using C/C++ and FPGA‑based methods to verify functionality and performance.

The role emphasizes developing automated tests, building benchmarks, and documenting results, collaborating with SoC validation, firmware, software, and hardware design peers to deliver

Qualifications

• Bachelor's/Master's in Electrical or Computer Engineering.
• 1–10 years of related experience.
• Strong C/C++ and scripting (Python, Linux shell).
• Good analytical and communication skills; team player.

Responsibilities

• Refine and execute the SoC validation plan.
• Use C/C++ and FPGA tech to validate the SoC and enable peripheral interfaces.
• Develop automated testing tools and generate test coverage reports.
• Build benchmark tools to evaluate performance metrics (throughput, latency, resources).
• Document validation progress in Rivian’s tracking system.

Skills

C/C++

Python

Linux shell

Analytical skills

Team player

Education

Bachelor's / Master's in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering

Tools

FPGA

Verilog

Petalinux

SoC validation

Job description

About Rivian

About Rivian Rivian is on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. This goes for the emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles we build, and the curious, courageous souls we seek to attract. As a company, we constantly challenge what’s possible, never simply accepting what has always been done. We reframe old problems, seek new solutions and operate comfortably in areas that are unknown. Our backgrounds are diverse, but our team shares a love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it for future generations.

Role Summary

Join as Senior Silicon Validation Software Engineer in Autonomy Hardware and Sensing Systems team. You will be part of the team to build Rivian’s next generation hardware platform including Rivian in-house AI accelerator SoC to enhance vehicle performance and autonomous driving capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Work w/ SoC validation team to refine and execute the SoC validation plan
• Use C/C++ software and FPGA technology to validate SoC for the next generation hardware design, enable SoC internal functional blocks and peripheral interfaces.
• Develop automatic testing tools and generate test coverage reports.
• Build benchmark tools to evaluate performance of the hardware system, including throughput, latency, resource utilization, IO or compute frequency metrics
• Document validation progress and results in Rivian’s tracking system, to maintain good traceability

Qualifications

• Bachelors/Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or related field
• 1-10 years experience in related field.
• Good in C/C++ and scripting language (e.g., Python, Linux shell, etc.)
• Good analytical skills, written and verbal communication skills, and a team player

Preferred

• With projects focusing on platform/embedded software development
• Prior experience in AMD Zynq Petalinux development and FPGA design (Verilog)
• Prior experience in AI accelerator is a plus
• Prior experience in SoC peripheral interfaces like JTAG, I2C, UART, SPI, ethernet, DDR, PCIe is a plus
• Prior experience in camera data processing like MIPI interfaces, ISP, video encoder is a plus

Pay Disclosure

Pay Range: The salary range for this role is $146,000 - $183,000 annually for Bay Area based applicants. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, shift, and organizational needs. The successful candidate may be eligible for annual performance bonus and equity awards.

Benefits

• Paid vacation, paid sick leave, and a competitive portfolio of insurance benefits including life, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability insurance, and long-term disability insurance to eligible employees.
• You may also have the opportunity to participate in Rivian’s 401(k) Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program if you meet certain eligibility requirements.
• Full-time employee coverage is effective on their first day of employment.
• Part-time employee coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment.
• More information about benefits is available at rivianbenefits.com.

Equal Opportunity

Rivian is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law. Rivian is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at [e-mail].

Candidate Data Privacy and Technology

Rivian may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Rivian may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) recordkeeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law. Rivian may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our People Team, Finance, Legal, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Rivian affiliates; and (iii) Rivian’s service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services. Rivian may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.

How We Use AI in Our Hiring Process

To ensure transparency, we want candidates to know that Rivian uses iCIMS Talent Cloud Artificial Intelligence (TCAI) and AI-enabled tools to assist with screening, reviewing, organizing and highlighting profiles and applications that match the key requirements for each role. AI does not make hiring decisions: Qualified candidate applications are reviewed by a member of our team, and all decisions throughout the process are made by humans. We use AI to support efficiency and consistency, not to replace human judgment. We are committed to a fair, thoughtful, and equitable experience for every candidate. Participation in AI profile matching is entirely voluntary. If you prefer that your profile not be used in this process, you can opt out at any time. Opting out means your profile will be excluded from automated matching and will not be surfaced for additional roles through this system. Your current application remains active and will not be affected in any way. Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services.