Staff Software Engineer, Embedded, Autonomy

Rivian • Palo Alto, CA

1d

About The Position

Rivian 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.

As a Staff Software Engineer, you will serve as a technical lead and architect for Rivian’s next-generation autonomous driving platform. You will go beyond individual features to define the high-level architecture of stand-alone embedded applications that power our autonomy stack. The ideal candidate should be able to navigate ambiguous requirements, mentor senior talent, and drive long-term technical roadmaps that align with Rivian’s safety and performance goals.

Requirements

• 8+ years of professional experience in embedded software development (or 6+ years with an advanced degree).
• Proven Track Record: Experience acting as a lead architect on complex, safety-critical embedded systems.
• Mastery of C and C++ with a deep understanding of modern SoC architectures and low-level hardware abstraction layers.
• Deep expertise in Linux kernel internals and/or RTOS primitives (scheduling, memory management, IPC).
• Proficiency with logic analyzers, JTAG, and kernel-level debugging tools to solve "edge case" system behaviors.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to executive leadership and non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architectural design and long-term strategy for embedded software within the autonomy stack, ensuring scalability, modularity, and safety-critical reliability.
• Drive large-scale performance initiatives, defining the standards for memory utilization, power efficiency, and latency across both Linux and RTOS environments.
• Act as the primary technical liaison between the Autonomy, BSP, Hardware, and Cloud teams to ensure seamless hardware-software integration and sensor bring-up.
• Set the "gold standard" for code quality, safety-critical design patterns, and documentation. Lead complex code reviews that address systemic architectural concerns.
• Diagnose and resolve complex, systemic hardware/software defects that span multiple subsystems.
• Formally and informally mentor Senior and Staff-level engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning.
• Define and evolve development processes, including CI/CD integration, and testing frameworks.

Benefits

• The successful candidate may be eligible for annual performance bonus and equity awards.
• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and part-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26, including but not limited to paid vacation, paid sick leave, and a competitive portfolio of insurance benefits including life, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability insurance, and long-term disability insurance to eligible employees.
• You may also have the opportunity to participate in Rivian’s 401(k) Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program if you meet certain eligibility requirements.
• Full-time employee coverage is effective on their first day of employment.
• Part-time employee coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment.
• More information about benefits is available at rivianbenefits.com.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed