Staff Embedded Software Engineer, Virtualization (Remote)

Jobright is an AI-powered career platform that helps job seekers discover the top opportunities in the US. We are NOT a staffing agency. Jobright does not hire directly for these positions. We connect you with verified openings from employers you can trust.

Job Summary:

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture focused on innovating automotive technology for electric vehicles. The Staff Embedded Software Engineer will transform ECU firmware into high-performance virtual devices, facilitating rapid development cycles and collaboration across various engineering teams.

Responsibilities:

• Maintain and evolve the user-space runtime that runs production firmware on host machines. Familiarity with mapping RTOS concepts onto POSIX primitives is a plus.

• Hook new ECU firmware to existing stubbed / modeled libraries (GPIO, CAN, LIN, PWM, watchdog, ADC/DAC, etc.) so code runs unmodified on workstations and in the cloud.

• Implement functional (non-cycle-accurate) device models in C or Python when hardware isn’t available, partnering with hardware engineers to capture realistic behavior and edge cases.

• Own build scripts, tool-chains, and configurations that generate both host binaries and target MCU images, delivering fast, reproducible builds.

• Extend existing HIL Pytest suites for virtual configurations: inject faults, log traces, and validate timing or bus traffic against golden references.

• Track down discrepancies between firmware assumptions and host behavior; strong problem-solving instincts and GDB proficiency when needed.

• Work closely with middleware/OS engineers and, when required, hardware teams to align abstractions, validate new peripheral models, and unblock integration issues.

• Lead design reviews, raise code quality, and mentor peers on real-time pitfalls, clean abstraction boundaries, and maintainable C/C++/Python practices.

Qualifications:

Required:

• 10+ years of hands-on embedded firmware experience, including porting or deeply modifying RTOS-based systems.

• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.

• Expert-level C, strong C++, and production-quality Python skills.

• Deep understanding of RTOS fundamentals (tasks, ISRs, schedulers, queues, timers) and how they map onto POSIX user-space primitives.

• Proven expertise in embedded optimization and low-level debugging; comfortable with GDB and hardware/protocol analyzers.

• Solid grasp of multi-threaded and multi-core programming concepts.

• Experience developing for automotive communication networks (CAN, LIN, Ethernet) and corresponding user-space interfaces (e.g., SocketCAN).

• Hands-on ownership of Bazel (or similar) build systems and cross-compile tool-chains for heterogeneous targets.

• Strong communication skills and a track record of effective collaboration within fast-moving, multidisciplinary teams.

• Passion for shortening the idea-to-product cycle through virtualization, rapid iteration, and rigorous engineering practice.

Preferred:

• Prior work creating functional peripheral or IC models (QEMU, Renode, or custom stubs).

• Familiarity with safety-critical C guidelines (MISRA, CERT) and advanced automotive protocols (DoIP, SOME/IP).

• Experience correlating virtual-ECU results with physical HIL data to close fidelity gaps.

Company:

Rivian and VW Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. Founded in 2024, the company is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, US, with a team of 501-1000 employees. The company is currently Late Stage. Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships.