Senior Digital Key Engineer

The AES Group • Palo Alto, CA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Seeking a Senior Digital Key Engineer with expertise in CCC Digital Key standards, wireless communication technologies, and secure automotive vehicle access systems. The engineer will lead implementation, integration, troubleshooting, and validation of smartphone-based vehicle access functions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Embedded Systems, or a related technical discipline.
• Deep technical knowledge of the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) Digital Key Architecture, including global standards for NFC, BLE, and UWB wireless technologies.
• Proven proficiency with network and hardware analysis tools such as Vector CANoe/CANalyzer, Wireshark, BLE sniffers, and UWB/NFC protocol analyzers.
• Demonstrated experience troubleshooting RF communication timing constraints, signal propagation bottlenecks, and cryptographic handshake latencies.
• Solid understanding of vehicle networking protocols including CAN, CAN-FD, LIN, and Automotive Ethernet.
• Familiarity with Secure Elements (SE), GlobalPlatform standards, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), and asymmetric cryptography.

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing or testing mobile wallet integrations (Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet).
• Hands-on background with automated hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing rigs and script development (Python, CAPL).
• Active participation in CCC plugfests, working groups, or compliance certification programs.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the integration of CCC Digital Key specifications within the vehicle architecture, ensuring strict compliance with security and privacy requirements.
• Act as the primary technical point for identifying, isolating, and tracking system defects across hardware, embedded software, and mobile application layers.
• Analyze time-critical messaging sequences (ranging from BLE discovery to UWB distance bounding) using logic analyzers, protocol sniffers, and oscilloscope captures.
• Test and debug communication performance variations across diverse mobile hardware platforms, operating systems (iOS/Android), and environmental conditions.
• Optimize physical-layer connection workflows to meet strict latency thresholds for vehicle wake-up, welcome lighting, and hands-free passive entry.
• Partner with Tier-1 suppliers, internal software teams, and cybersecurity experts to address vulnerabilities and architectural bottlenecks.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior