Staff Systems Engineer

Rivian Autonomy Software Systems Team RoleRivian is on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. This goes for the emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles we build, and the curious, courageous souls we seek to attract. As a company, we constantly challenge what's possible, never simply accepting what has always been done. We reframe old problems, seek new solutions and operate comfortably in areas that are unknown. Our backgrounds are diverse, but our team shares a love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it for future generations.Role SummaryThe Autonomy Software Systems team's deliverables include owning a feature - from the definition stage to the production stage, designing the system - from system architecture to subsystem requirements. In this role you will own the architecture and specification of platform services on Rivian's autonomy compute platform. Platform services are the foundational software components that manage application lifecycle, system state, health monitoring, inter-process communication, and fault management — the layer between the operating system/middleware and the autonomous driving applications.ResponsibilitiesOwn the architectural definition of platform services for the autonomy compute platform, including but not limited to: execution management, system state management, platform health and fault management, and communication managementAuthor and maintain platform service specifications that serve as the authoritative source of truth for the software infrastructure implementation teamDefine interface contracts (service interfaces, configuration schemas) between platform services, between platform services and applications, and between ECUsMake and document architectural trade-off decisions with clear rationale, considering real-time performance, safety, and scalabilityDefine system-level requirements for platform services, derived from vehicle-level needs, safety goals, and hardware constraintsEstablish and maintain traceability between requirements, architecture decisions, implementation artifacts, and verification evidenceCollaborate with the team to improve requirements management practices and toolingDefine acceptance criteria and verification strategies for platform servicesAuthor test specifications that can be executed at the device, bench, or HIL level to validate platform service behaviorWork with the team to build automated verification capabilities for platform-level requirementsServe as the primary technical interface between the systems engineering team and the software infrastructure team for platform service topicsCollaborate with the hardware engineering team on compute architecture, resource allocation, and platform topology decisionsSupport the diagnostics and sensor integration systems engineers by providing platform-level context and ensuring platform services meet their domain-specific needsParticipate in design reviews for platform software implementations, providing architectural feedback grounded in the specifications you ownQualificationsBachelors, Masters, or PhD in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, or a related field10+ years of experience in embedded systems, automotive software platforms, or autonomous vehicle compute systemsDeep understanding of platform software concepts: process/application lifecycle management, system state machines, health monitoring, inter-process communication, fault detection and responseExperience with real-time operating systems (QNX, Linux with RT extensions) in automotive or safety-critical contextsStrong familiarity with service-oriented communication (SOME/IP, DDS) and automotive networking (Ethernet, CAN/CAN-FD)Experience writing system or software architecture documents, requirements specifications, and interface definitionsProficiency in C++ (sufficient to read and evaluate platform implementations, write reference or prototype code, and author verification tools)Proficiency in Python (for tooling, automation, data analysis)Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with implementation teams, translating architecture into actionable specificationsExperience with Adaptive AUTOSAR concepts (execution management, state management, platform health management, communication management)Experience with automotive functional safety processes (ISO 26262) at the platform or system levelExperience with requirements management tools (DOORS, Polarion, Jama, or similar)Background in performance analysis, timing analysis, or scheduling for real-time embedded systemsExperience evaluating or integrating third-party middleware or AUTOSAR stacksPrior work at an OEM, Tier 1, or autonomy technology company on production vehicle compute platform