Senior Automotive Systems & Applications Engineer

NXP Semiconductors•Austin, TX

About The Position

NXP Semiconductors is seeking a highly experienced Automotive Systems & Applications Engineer to lead customer implementation of advanced automotive systems, with a particular focus on deploying edge AI workloads within centralized and zonal vehicle architectures. This role combines deep embedded systems expertise with system‑level architectural thinking, guiding customers as they integrate AI‑driven functionality onto safety-critical automotive processors. As vehicles evolve toward software-defined platforms and central compute architectures, this position plays a key role in translating AI workloads into real-world, production-ready automotive solutions. The successful candidate will lead customer engagements involving AI workload mapping, performance and safety tradeoffs, and on‑vehicle optimization, while also providing technical leadership across applications engineering teams and helping shape future product and enablement strategies.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering
7+ years of experience in automotive embedded systems development, applications engineering, or a related technical role.
Strong knowledge of Arm-based MCU/MPU architecture. Experience with heterogeneous, multi-core embedded systems.
Strong knowledge of automotive architectures, communication protocols (PCIe, Ethernet, CAN, LIN, FlexRay), and safety standards (ISO 26262).
Proficiency in embedded C/C++ programming for microcontrollers and microprocessors.
Experience with compilers, emulators and real-time operating systems.
Experience with embedded Linux OS and expertise in embedded Linux development.
Proficiency with embedded development tools, debuggers, and testing equipment (e.g., oscilloscopes, logic analyzers).
Familiarity with real-time operating systems (RTOS) and embedded software development methodologies.
Experience interacting directly with customers and solving complex technical issues throughout all stages of automotive development cycles.
Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and debugging skills.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences. Must have very strong oral and written English language skills.
Foundational understanding of AI/ML concepts as applied to embedded and edge systems (e.g., inference vs training, latency and memory constraints).
Exposure to edge AI model end to end deployment, including training tools (e.g. TensorFlow, PyTorch) and edge AI inference frameworks (e.g. TensorFlow Lite, ONNX runtime, GLOW).

Nice To Haves

Prior experience with NXP's automotive product portfolio (e.g., S32Z/E, S32N, S32G, S32K) is a significant advantage.
Experience with on-device profiling of AI model performance is a plus.

Responsibilities

Promote NXP field engineering and sales teams' design-win activity by enabling customer transitions from reference designs to production applications.
Develop and implement application-specific software, firmware, and hardware solutions utilizing NXP's microcontrollers, processors, and other automotive components.
Design, build, and test proof-of-concept systems, reference designs, and evaluation kits to demonstrate the capabilities and performance of NXP's automotive portfolio.
Provide comprehensive technical support to customers, including debugging, troubleshooting, and resolving complex system-level issues.
Create detailed application notes, technical documentation, user manuals, and training materials to facilitate customer adoption and successful integration of NXP products.
Participate in customer workshops, technical reviews, and product demonstrations, effectively communicating technical information to diverse audiences.
Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory requirements within the automotive sector, identifying opportunities for new product development and application areas.
Contribute to the definition of future product roadmaps by providing valuable insights from customer engagements and application experience.
Execute performance analysis, benchmarking, and optimization of automotive systems to ensure compliance with industry standards and customer expectations.
Lead customer development of automotive edge AI solutions, from workload definition through on‑vehicle deployment, mapping AI workloads to processor capabilities, optimizing latency, power and safety considerations and guiding customers on implementation feasibility and tradeoffs.
Guide the application of AI‑enabled tools and workflows across customer enablement, system integration, and internal engineering processes, ensuring correctness, scalability, and alignment with safety‑critical development practices.
Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership and architectural guidance across applications engineering and customer engagements.