Staff Embedded Security Engineer

Wayve; Sunnyvale (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Relocation support

Hybrid working

Learning & development budget

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Wayve is seeking a Staff Embedded Security Engineer to partner with embedded software teams across boot, OS, and vehicle data workflows. You’ll design controls, review architectures, and implement practical security measures for real-time firmware and embedded Linux systems.

You’ll work with cryptography concepts, hardware-backed security (TrustZone, HSMs, secure boot), and threat modelling to balance security with performance and developer velocity across vehicle fleets.

Qualifications

• Design and deliver security systems for connected Linux-based embedded devices.
• Hands-on hardware-backed security in production systems.
• Understand cryptography fundamentals and PKI.
• System-level development on kernels/bootloaders/embedded OS.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop security controls in real-time embedded firmware and embedded Linux software.
• Review code and designs to identify vulnerabilities and guide remediation.
• Contribute to requirements, architecture docs, interface definitions, and test plans.
• Partner with Wayve Security to address fleet-wide risks.
• Build and maintain security tooling, libraries, controls, and instrumentation.
• Act as security contact for engineering teams and penetration engagements.

Skills

Embedded security

Linux security

Python

C++

Go

Penetration testing

Security tooling

Cryptography basics

System security architecture

Tools

HSMs

TrustZone

Secure boot

Key management

Yocto / RTOS

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

Wayve’s Vehicle Software Engineering teams build the onboard software and connected services that make our development fleet safe, secure, reliable, and ready for real-world autonomous-driving work. This role sits across Robot Software, Reliability Engineering, Fleet Tools, Onboard Test Automation and the wider Security organization, helping protect everything from boot and operating-system layers through vehicle applications, data offload, and vehicle-to-backend communications.

As a Staff Embedded Security Engineer, you’ll be a hands‑on security partner to embedded software teams. You’ll identify risks, guide penetration‑testing work, design practical controls, and help engineers make secure architecture decisions throughout development.

Your day‑to‑day

• Design and develop security controls in real‑time embedded firmware and embedded Linux software.
• Review code and system designs to identify vulnerabilities and guide remediation.
• Contribute to technical requirements, architecture documents, interface definitions, implementation guides, and test plans.
• Partner with Wayve’s Security team to assess and address risks across the vehicle fleet.
• Build and maintain security tooling, libraries, controls, and instrumentation in Wayve codebases.
• Act as a security point of contact for engineering teams and penetration‑testing engagements.

What You’ll Be Working On

• Securing boot, OS, application, and data‑offload layers across Wayve’s development fleet.
• Hardware‑backed security, including HSMs, TrustZone, secure boot, signed updates, and key management.
• Secure on‑vehicle access and vehicle‑to‑backend communications.
• Security architecture for internet‑connected Linux‑based embedded devices.
• Threat modelling, vulnerability management, code auditing, and security policy implementation.
• Robust controls that balance security, reliability, performance, and developer velocity.

You should apply if

• You have a proven record of designing and delivering security systems for connected Linux‑based embedded devices.
• You have hands‑on experience incorporating hardware‑backed security into production systems.
• You understand cryptography fundamentals and public‑key infrastructure.
• You have system‑level development experience with kernels, bootloaders, or embedded operating systems.
• You can work effectively in Python, C++, C, or Go and remain hands‑on with code.
• You can communicate clear technical recommendations to engineers, non‑engineering partners, and leadership.

Experience with Yocto, QNX or another RTOS, containers, secrets management, MISRA, vulnerability management, or security‑community contributions would be valuable.

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

• Initial recruiter screen: (25 mins)
• Competency Interviews: Hiring manager and technical deep dive interview (2 hours total)
• Deep‑drive technical interviews: Programming, technical leadership, cross‑functional partnerships & domain‑specific interviews (4 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 dependent):

• 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

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.

If that sounds like the kind of problem you want to spend your time on, we’d really like to hear from you.

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.