Sr. Technical Specialist – HCU Controls Software & Hardware

KARMA AUTOMOTIVE, LLC; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

KARMA AUTOMOTIVE, LLC in Irvine, CA seeks a Sr. Technical Specialist for HCU Controls, Software & Hardware. You will own the complete HCU lifecycle from requirements to production, and drive architecture, interfaces, and safety compliance across hardware and software domains.

You will lead cross-functional teams, mentor engineers, and advance reusable controls and ECU practices, aligning with product roadmaps and supplier engagements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related field.
• 12+ years of automotive controls, embedded software, and ECU hardware experience.
• Demonstrated technical leadership of HCU/vehicle control units from architecture to production.
• Expertise in hybrid/electric supervisory controls and safety concepts (ISO 26262).
• Strong knowledge of CAN, UDS, and automotive networks.
• Proficiency with MATLAB/Simulink for model-based development.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end HCU technical strategy, architecture, and lifecycle.
• Define scalable hardware/software architecture including processors and I/O.
• Lead decomposition of requirements into controls, software, and hardware.
• Develop hybrid supervisory controls and energy-management strategies.
• Define interfaces with engine, battery, inverters, and vehicle systems.
• Oversee model-based development, code generation, and production readiness.
• Provide technical oversight of ECU hardware/software development and testing.
• Lead integration and verification across bench, environmental, and vehicle tests.

Skills

Technical leadership

Embedded software

ECU hardware

MATLAB/Simulink

ISO 26262

CAN/UDS

Systems engineering

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Tools

MATLAB

Simulink

Stateflow

Embedded Coder

TargetLink

dSPACE

Job description

• Job Category Engineering, Hardware, Software
• Employee Type Exempt
• Required Degree 4 Year Degree

Description

Sr. Technical Specialist - HCU Controls, Software & Hardware

The Sr. Technical Specialist - HCU Controls, Software & Hardware serves as the senior technical authority for the Hybrid Control Unit as an integrated electronic control system. This role owns the complete HCU lifecycle— from vehicle and system requirements, controls and software architecture, and embedded implementation through hardware architecture, component selection, schematic and PCB design oversight, interfaces, integration, verification, release, production launch, and field support.

This individual establishes technical direction, makes system-level hardware/software tradeoffs, leads resolution of the most complex cross-functional issues, and ensures the HCU achieves vehicle performance, drivability, efficiency, functional safety, diagnostics, cybersecurity, electrical robustness, thermal performance, electromagnetic compatibility, manufacturability, quality, serviceability, and regulatory objectives. The role influences product and platform roadmaps, aligns internal teams and suppliers, mentors engineers, and advances reusable controls, software, and ECU hardware engineering practices across programs.

Responsibilities (include, but are not limited to):

• Own the end-to-end HCU technical strategy, architecture, requirements, interfaces, controls, embedded software, electronic hardware, integration, verification, release, and production support.
• Define scalable HCU hardware and software architecture, including processors, power supplies, I/O, communications and network interfaces, sensing and actuation circuits, application software, basic software interfaces, runnables, scheduling, state management, fault handling, diagnostics, calibration, bootloader, and software update strategies.
• Lead decomposition and traceability of vehicle and system requirements into HCU controls, software, hardware, electrical interface, diagnostic, functional safety, cybersecurity, OBD, regulatory, manufacturing, and service requirements.
• Architect and develop hybrid supervisory control functions, including operating-mode management, torque and energy coordination, engine start/stop, high-voltage enablement, regenerative braking coordination, thermal and power limits, charging interfaces, and degraded-mode operation.
• Define control, software, electrical, and communication interfaces with the engine, transmission, battery management system, generator and traction inverters, electric motors, DC/DC converter, charger, braking, thermal, body, and vehicle control systems, including signal conditioning, loading, protection, grounding, and wake/sleep behavior.
• Develop and govern model-based controls and embedded implementation using MATLAB, Simulink, and Stateflow, while ensuring alignment with ECU hardware constraints, I/O characteristics, timing, memory, processor loading, and circuit-level assumptions; establish modeling standards, reusable components, simulation practices, design reviews, and production code-generation workflows.
• Provide technical oversight for ECU hardware and embedded software development, including component selection, schematics, PCB layout, power and signal integrity, derating, worst-case and thermal analyses, design-for-manufacture and test, embedded C and auto-generated code quality, timing, memory, CPU utilization, configuration, build, integration, and release readiness.
• Lead HCU hardware/software integration and verification across simulation, component, bench, environmental, EMC, MIL, SIL, HIL, dynamometer, and vehicle environments; establish test strategy, coverage, acceptance criteria, regression methods, design validation, production validation, and defect closure.
• Drive system safety analyses and safety mechanisms in alignment with ISO 26262, including technical safety requirements, FMEA/FMEDA, fault-tree analysis, freedom-from-interference considerations, and safety validation.
• Lead diagnostics and serviceability design, including fault detection, DTC strategy, debouncing, limp-home behavior, freeze-frame data, UDS services, OBD compliance, and manufacturing/service tool interfaces.
• Establish and chair system, hardware, controls, software, calibration, design, code, and issue-resolution reviews; make data-driven technical decisions and document tradeoffs, risks, verification evidence, and approvals.
• Serve as the principal technical interface to HCU hardware and software suppliers and internal stakeholders; manage technical deliverables, interface agreements, BOM and component changes, design maturity, software maturity, change control, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and production readiness.
• Lead vehicle-level calibration and validation of hybrid operating behavior, performance, efficiency, drivability, robustness, emissions-related functions, and fault responses.
• Identify technical and program risks early, create mitigation plans, and communicate hardware and software status, dependencies, design maturity, validation results, quality metrics, and release recommendations to engineering and program leadership.
• Mentor controls, embedded software, and ECU hardware engineers; raise engineering standards, support technical career development, and promote disciplined reuse, automation, design robustness, and continuous improvement across disciplines.
• Provide technical training and launch support to manufacturing, quality, service, and field teams.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related engineering discipline.
• Typically 12 or more years of relevant automotive controls, embedded software, and ECU hardware experience, including substantial ownership of production safety-critical electronic control systems; equivalent depth of experience will be considered.
• Demonstrated technical leadership of an HCU, vehicle control unit, powertrain control module, or comparable safety-critical embedded controller—including electronic hardware, controls, and software—from architecture through production launch.
• Expertise in hybrid or electric vehicle supervisory controls, vehicle operating modes, torque and energy coordination, component limits, fault management, and vehicle-level integration.
• Expertise in embedded controller hardware and software architecture, including microcontrollers, power supplies, analog and digital I/O, automotive communications, sensing and actuation interfaces, circuit protection, real-time execution, state machines, scheduling, diagnostics, calibration, configuration, and system integration.
• Advanced proficiency with MATLAB, Simulink, and Stateflow and with production auto-code generation using Embedded Coder and/or dSPACE TargetLink.
• Strong knowledge of embedded C, software design principles, ECU hardware design practices, component selection, schematic and PCB review, electrical and thermal analysis, version control, configuration management, build and release processes, static analysis, and structured peer review.
• Demonstrated ability to create clear, testable system, controls, software, hardware, electrical-interface, diagnostic, manufacturing, and safety requirements with end-to-end traceability.
• Extensive experience with ECU hardware and software verification, including electrical bench testing, environmental and EMC validation, MIL, SIL, HIL, dynamometer and vehicle testing, test automation, regression, calibration, data analysis, troubleshooting, and root-cause resolution.
• Working knowledge of CAN and automotive protocols, UDS diagnostics, OBD requirements, and common calibration and network-analysis tools.
• Strong working knowledge of ISO 26262 functional safety practices across hardware and software, including hardware metrics, dependent-failure analysis, FMEA/FMEDA, fault-tree analysis, hazard analysis, safety mechanisms, and verification of safety requirements.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional technical decisions, influence without direct authority, manage supplier technical execution, and communicate effectively with engineering and program leadership.
• Excellent written, verbal, mentoring, and technical