Staff Systems Engineer - Power Modes

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 We are seeking a talented and driven Systems Engineer to architect and lead the development of vehicle power moding strategies for current and next-generation electrical architectures. In this role, you will drive the design, development, and validation of vehicle power management systems, ensuring optimal energy efficiency, performance, and reliability across a diverse portfolio of vehicle programs. You will work closely with external brand partners and cross-functional teams to harmonize desired vehicle behaviors with technical constraints, delivering cutting-edge solutions that align with our commitment to innovation and quality. This role requires a deep understanding of vehicle electrical architectures, power electronics, and deterministic software orchestration. RESPONSIBILITIES - Collaborate with external customer brands to harmonize desired vehicle behaviors with technical architecture constraints. Ensure the core vehicle power moding software is flexible enough to support a diverse portfolio of vehicles without requiring bespoke changes for each brand. - Own the end-to-end technical definition of the vehicle power moding system; partner with the TPM to ensure the technical roadmap is accurately scoped and prioritized to align with vehicle program milestones. - Lead the design of arbitration logic to resolve competing power requests from various subsystems while ensuring the vehicle always maintains a safe and predictable power state. - Define the software interfaces and APIs for the power moding service, ensuring seamless communication over an Ethernet backbone with other zonal controllers. - Partner with functional safety and energy management teams to implement power-related "Limp-Home" strategies; own the software orchestration required to execute tiered load-shedding and degraded state transitions in response to system failures. - Drive the decomposition of high-level vehicle requirements into testable technical specifications for software, hardware, and integration teams. - Define the deterministic timing and sequences between power moding software and LV/HV subsystems, utilizing positive feedback loops to ensure rail stability before releasing zonal loads. - Manage the vehicle-level sleep budget by allocating, monitoring, and enforcing limits; collaborate with the energy management team to align these budgets with vehicle range and standing time targets. - Support the definition of test cases for SIL (Software-in-the-Loop) and HIL (Hardware-in-the-Loop) environments, focusing on high risk corner-case transient power transitions. - Lead functional analysis (DFMEA/FTA) to define power-moding behaviors during hardware failures or degraded system states. - Guide engineers in requirement decomposition and traceability, and the nuances of integrating high-complexity power systems. - Willingness to travel up to 10% as required QUALIFICATIONS - B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field. - Minimum of 8+ years of experience in systems engineering for complex electromechanical platforms (e.g., Aerospace, Defense, Grid-scale Energy, Robotics, or Automotive). - Proven ability to design timing-critical sequences where software logic must manage high-transient loads and ensure system stability. - Deep understanding of high-voltage to low-voltage conversion and the challenges of managing stable power rails in systems with limited energy buffering. - Expertise in requirements management tools (e.g., Flow, Jama, Polarion, or DOORS) and experience decomposing high-level system intents into testable software/hardware specifications. - Demonstrated ability to set technical direction, lead cross-functional negotiations, and harmonize requirements between competing domains. - Strong experience with functional analysis tools such as DFMEA and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) to ensure system reliability and safety-critical uptime. - Proven ability to work in a fast-paced development environment and manage technical scope across multiple vehicle platforms simultaneously. - Familiarity with safety-critical standards (e.g., ISO 26262, DO-178C, or IEC 61508) and the design of fail-safe power state transitions. - Exceptional ability to translate qualitative "user feel" into quantitative system requirements and technical specifications. 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. Of