Sr. Staff Systems Engineer

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies•Irvine, CA

1d•$218,200 - $300,100

About The Position

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. The Propulsion & Dynamics Systems Engineering team owns how our vehicles brake, accelerate, steer and stay stable — from the requirement, through the allocation of software across zonal and secondary ECUs, to the test that proves it on a HIL bench and in a vehicle. In this role you will be the end-to-end technical owner for a portfolio of vehicle motion control features across multiple vehicle programs and software packages.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical, Electrical, Automotive, Mechatronics or Controls Engineering (Master's preferred)
8+ years of systems engineering experience with a focus on vehicle dynamics, chassis controls or brake systems, including taking a feature from concept to production release
Working knowledge of Traction Control , All-Wheel Drive and Torque Vectoring systems at the level of the control strategy.
Demonstrated ownership of requirements in a formal requirements management tool with traceability to verification (Jama, Flow, DOORS or equivalent)
Experience with automotive networks and interface definition — CAN / CAN FD, FlexRay, LIN, automotive Ethernet, and ARXML or DBC-based signal definition
Validation experience at one or more test levels (SIL, HIL, component or vehicle), including specifying test cases and separating a test defect from a software defect; comfort scripting in Python
Understanding of ISO 26262 functional safety guidelines as applied to safety-critical automotive systems, and familiarity with DFMEA / STPA processes
Demonstrated use of AI coding assistants (e.g., Cursor, Claude, GitHub Copilot) or AI-powered analysis tools in an engineering context
Strong written communication and the ability to decide under ambiguity
Willingness to work across time zones with global colleagues and to travel internationally on occasion

Nice To Haves

Experience in a joint venture, OEM–OEM or OEM–Tier 1 program where you owned the technical interface to the partner organization
Familiarity with homologation and regulatory frameworks relevant to braking and stability — UN ECE R13-H, UN R140, FMVSS 126 and 135, Euro NCAP
Exposure to zonal or service-oriented E/E architectures and by-wire systems
Calibration and measurement tooling experience — XCP, CANape, A2L-based workflows
Familiarity with MBSE methodologies and tools, and with simulation-driven trade studies
Experience testing at proving grounds and in winter test conditions

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end system definition for a portfolio of vehicle motion control features across multiple vehicle programs and software packages with focus on Traction Control , All-Wheel Drive and Torque Vectoring functionalities
Define the logical architecture, boundary diagrams, function allocation, state machines, sequence diagrams and theory of operation for each feature, and keep them current as the platform evolves
Support development of plant models for different Propulsion & Vehicle Dynamics components where necessary
Develop and release requirements at vehicle, system and component level with full traceability from feature requirement through software requirement to test case
Drive functional allocation decisions across zonal controllers, brake ECUs and secondary ECUs, producing written trade studies that weigh regulatory compliance, functional safety, supplier versus in-house ownership, and simulated vehicle behavior
Own interface and signal-level definition — raise and review network signal change requests and specify CAN FD, FlexRay and backbone Ethernet signals, keeping interface documentation aligned with implemented software behavior
Serve as the RVT technical point of contact to VW Group brand engineering teams for the domain: set the RVT position, negotiate interface and allocation questions, and run standing technical sessions with counterparts in Germany
Commit features to specific software releases on behalf of the domain, and escalate internally when a commitment is at risk before the partner discovers it
Contribute to feature-level DFMEAs and support system-level Functional Safety work products compliant with ISO 26262, including impact analysis for ASIL-relevant functions
Formulate and drive DVP&R across SIL, HIL, component and vehicle levels, and author automated HIL tests in Python where doing so accelerates delivery
Triage nightly HIL regression failures — distinguish real software defects from test artifacts, call release-blocker status, and route or resolve accordingly
Participate in troubleshooting bench, proving ground and fleet issues, applying structured root cause analysis down to the signal and firmware level and quantifying behavior from logged data
Prepare design review gate packages, including requirement and test coverage metrics that separate safety and non-safety requirements, and close the resulting open items
Report feature-level status against maturity and release gates, and represent the domain in program syncs, bug scrubs and branch cut checkpoints
Interface with controls, firmware, validation, ADAS, HMI, diagnostics, homologation, functional safety and service teams to ensure vehicle-level quality and integration
Actively use AI-assisted tools (LLM-based coding assistants, automated requirements and test case generation, AI-enhanced data analysis) to improve the throughput and quality of engineering deliverables
Support in-vehicle testing and validation globally, including winter and proving ground events