Staff Embedded Software Engineer - Vehicle Access Systems

About this role

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 While our Lund office was initially established in 2023 with the ABetterRouteplanner (ABRP) team focusing on advanced EV trip planning, we are now expanding our scope. We are building new RVT development teams in Lund with a focus on Vehicle Access Systems (VAS), requiring specialized skills in low-level embedded development to connect the digital stack to the physical vehicle.   We are looking for a technically driven Embedded Lead Engineer to join our Vehicle Access team, acting as a Staff‑level technical leader for our vehicle access domain across multiple vehicle lines and programs. You will be responsible for end‑to‑end system‑level development of security‑critical capabilities such as UWB, NFC, and phone‑as‑key. This is a key position within Senior Staff Engineering, where you will lead and develop embedded solutions that are central to vehicle security and user experience and are used across Rivian and Volkswagen‑brand vehicles. You will work on modern embedded systems using C/C++ (and optionally Rust), with a strong focus on safety, reliability, and robust security. The role includes full ownership of the design, implementation, and integration of vehicle access architecture and protocols at both hardware and system levels, in alignment with CCC and related industry standards. Responsibilities - Lead the development of embedded systems for Vehicle Access with focus on security, reliability, and performance, owning the technical direction for digital key and access across multiple vehicles and programs. - Design and implement system-level features within vehicle access areas like phone-as-key, defining and evolving the architecture, interfaces, and patterns used by multiple ECUs and services (vehicle, mobile, and cloud) for secure access. - Lead cross‑functional technical work with security, mobile, cloud, UX, hardware, and manufacturing teams to balance security, usability, and serviceability for vehicle access. - Develop and maintain embedded C/C++ (and optionally Rust) code for safety-critical applications, while guiding other engineers on design and implementation best practices. - Work with UWB, NFC, networking, and security protocols to ensure secure and reliable vehicle access, owning fleet‑level reliability and mitigating systemic issues across markets and programs. - Drive the technical roadmap and make key architectural decisions for the vehicle access domain, influencing how multiple teams design, implement, and integrate access‑related functionality. - Ensure high quality through automated testing, code reviews, and CI/CD pipelines, and define quality, security, and testing standards adopted by multiple teams working on vehicle access. - Mentor and support senior and junior engineers, fostering knowledge sharing and best practices, and acting as the go‑to technical reference for vehicle access. - Operate independently and take ownership of complex, ambiguous, cross‑functional engineering challenges that span multiple systems and teams. Qualification 10+ years of professional experience in embedded system development, including leading architecture and delivery of complex, cross‑team systems. - Strong expertise in C/C++; Rust experience is a strong plus. - Experience with security-critical systems, networking, and protocol development. - Strong understanding of system-level development, vehicle security and related standards. - Self-sufficient, highly independent, and able to take ownership of complex, cross-functional projects from early definition through launch, influencing stakeholders across teams and organizations. - Excellent command of English, both written and spoken, for international collaboration. Nice to have - Experience in automotive access systems and security protocols. - Previous experience leading technical teams in embedded development, including setting technical direction and standards at a domain or platform level. 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 https://rvtech.mybenefits.life/. External candidates can apply for this role through the Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies careers site (https://rivianvw.tech/#careers). If you are a current employee, please apply through our internal job board https://app.ashbyhq.com/internal/job-board/b10a9912-eb45-4a84-9a34-84b2a459923a. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY