Systems Architecture Software Engineer

Rivian VW Group; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Rivian VW Group Technologies is seeking a Systems Architecture Engineer to help design the next generation of electric vehicles, focusing on software and hardware architecture, networking topology, power distribution, and cross-functional optimization. You will propose system designs, perform trade studies, document architecture, and assist with implementation and evolution.

Responsibilities include decomposing requirements across software, electrical, and mechanical domains, ensuring scalable

Qualifications

• B.S. in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering required.
• 1-3 years of experience with systems engineering, communication networks, safety-critical systems, and/or automotive development processes; advanced degree acceptable.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced development environment.
• Good team player with excellent communication skills.
• Self-motivated: able to set direction and guide the team toward it.

Responsibilities

• Advance capabilities for analyzing network architecture, topology, and behavior of existing and future vehicles.
• Interface with multiple functional domains and help define and push the limit for future technology roadmap.
• Define and decompose program functional and performance requirements to sub-systems, ensuring state-of-the-art software-defined vehicles.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to design system architecture and function allocation for scalable future variants.
• Assign functions to mechanical, electrical, or software domains as appropriate.
• Create and run models to understand feasibility and limits of designs.
• Perform system analysis to identify strengths, drawbacks, and limitations.
• Drive system optimization and improvements.

Skills

Systems Architecture

Networking topology

Full-stack latency analysis

Safety isolation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

B.S. in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering

Job description

About Us

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world.

The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone.

Role Summary

The Software Systems Architecture team's mission is to ensure that technical teams across Rivian VW Tech are aligned in a unified vision of our future vehicles across multiple brands. We achieve this mission by providing cross-functional oversight of the system and sub-system development processes, contributing technical expertise in selected areas, and bridging communication between domain specialists. Our team is proud of the breadth of our technical contributions, and we are always looking to expand the areas in which we can have an impact. Areas of special interest include network topology, processor selection, full-stack latency analysis, safety isolation, and many more.

As a Systems Architecture Engineer you will help architect the next generation of Rivian and Volkswagen vehicles, going deep into the big-picture system design of the software architecture and electrical architecture of our electric cars and trucks. Focus areas include functional decomposition across software and hardware, networking topology and communication, power distribution and coding, and cross-functional system optimization for cost, quality, and manufacturability. You will propose possible system designs, perform trade studies to down-select among options, document and evangelize the chosen architecture, and assist with its implementation and evolution.

Responsibilities

• Help advance our capabilities for analyzing network architecture, topology, and behavior of existing and future vehicles.

• Interface with multiple functional domains and help define and push the limit for future technology roadmap.

• Help define and decompose program functional and performance requirements to sub-systems, ensuring that we are defining and leading the state of the art software-defined vehicles.

• Work cross-functionally to design the system architecture and corresponding function allocation, ensuring the solution is scalable and solves future variants.

• Work to optimally assign a function to mechanical hardware, electrical hardware, or software.

• Create and run models to understand the feasibility and fundamental limits of various designs.

• Perform system analysis to understand strengths, drawbacks, and limitations.

• Provide and drive system optimization.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.

• 1-3 years of experience with Systems Engineering, communication networks, safety-critical systems, and/or automotive development processes; or advanced degree.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced development environment.

• Good team player with excellent communication skills.

• Self-motivated: Demonstrated ability to set direction and guide the team towards it.

Total Rewards

We build the exceptional — and we believe the people doing that work should be rewarded accordingly. In addition to a competitive base salary, full-time positions may be is eligible to participate in our annual company performance bonus program.

Payments are discretionary and not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on company results and the terms of the plan in effect, and require active employment at the time of payout. This role is also eligible for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval and the terms of our equity incentive plans, including applicable vesting requirements.

In addition to our compensation programs, we invest in our people with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, wellbeing, and financial future for full-time employees — including health coverage, retirement savings, time off, and family planning programs. Offerings vary by country. Learn more about our global benefit programs.

Equal Opportunity

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. 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. We are also committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable fair employment practice laws regarding citizenship and immigration status.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies 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

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies” 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 and Volkswagen Group Technologies 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) record keeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies 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 and Volkswagen Group Technologies affiliates; and (iii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies’ service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, 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.

If you provide a mobile telephone number as part of your application or during the recruitment process, Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may use that number to contact you via SMS text message for recruitment-related purposes, including scheduling, logistics, and status updates. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any text message you receive from us. Consent to receive SMS messages is not a condition of applying for or being considered for employment.

Please see our Candidate Data Privacy Notice (English)and Candidate Data Privacy Notice (Serbian) for more information.

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