Sr. Staff Architect Infotainment Platforms

Rivian

  • Palo Alto, CA
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 1 month ago
Job Description:About UsRivian 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.
Role SummaryAs Sr. Staff Architect Infotainment Platforms, you will hold a senior leadership position with the ultimate responsibility for defining the foundational software architecture and be the software team’s voice in the hardware architecture discussions for the next generation of Software-Defined Vehicles across the entire Rivian and Volkswagen Group portfolios. You will build and guide a team of architects to create a single, scalable infotainment platform that will be deployed in millions of vehicles globally.This role is central to the technical and strategic success of the Rivian-VW joint venture. It requires a unique individual who can blend visionary technical leadership with the people and business acumen to foster collaboration and drive consensus across internal teams and external partners. You will not only manage a team of world-class experts but also set the multi-year technical direction for the platform, directly influence product strategy, and ensure the resulting architecture is robust, secure, and prepared for future innovations.
ResponsibilitiesTechnical Leadership & Vision
  • Lead the comprehensive definition, design, modeling, and documentation of the end-to-end infotainment platform architecture, from the hardware abstraction layers up to the application framework and APIs.
  • Champion and drive the strategic imperative for an SoC-agnostic platform. Oversee the development of a robust, portable HAL and participate in the technical evaluation and selection process for future silicons.
  • Serve as the ultimate technical authority and final decision-maker on critical system-level concerns, including real-time performance, memory management, and low-power management frameworks.
  • Establish and enforce software engineering best practices (e.g., Object-Oriented Design, modularity, reusability, maintainability) within the architecture team and promote their adoption across adjacent software domains.
Strategic Roadmapping & Forward-Looking Research
  • Develop, maintain, and communicate the multi-year technical roadmap for the infotainment platform, ensuring tight alignment with the product roadmaps of both Rivian and the various VW Group brands.
  • Participate in the organization’s "Forward-Looking" research and prototyping efforts into emerging and disruptive technologies.
  • Represent the infotainment platform's technical strategy and vision to executive leadership within both Rivian and Volkswagen, to key partners, and at external industry conferences and forums.
Team & People Leadership
  • Build, mentor, and manage a high-performing, geographically distributed team of Principal-level software and systems architects, fostering their technical and professional growth.
  • Set and clearly communicate team priorities, ensuring they support the broader organizational goals of the joint venture and deliver tangible value on committed timelines.
  • Cultivate a team culture of deep technical rigor, innovation, psychological safety, accountability, and continuous learning.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Form and lead an Architecture Review Board for ratifying the platform’s key architectural decisions and ensuring cross-company consensus.
  • Collaborate intimately with peers in product management, hardware engineering, the platform team, and application development to ensure the platform architecture meets the holistic needs of all stakeholders and enables them to do their best work.
QualificationsRequired Qualifications & Experience
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
  • A minimum of 12 years of experience in embedded software development, with at least 5 of those years serving in a formal technical leadership or architecture role for complex systems.
  • Demonstrated experience (3+ years) managing or leading a team of senior engineers or architects, with responsibility for hiring, mentorship, and performance management.
  • Expert-level understanding of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and its automotive-specific extensions (Android Automotive OS), including deep familiarity with the architecture from the application layer down to the HAL, system services, and build environment.
  • Deep knowledge of modern automotive SoC architectures (e.g., Qualcomm Snapdragon NVIDIA DRIVE, Samsung Exynos Auto) and their constituent subsystems (CPU, GPU, DSP, NPU, ISP, VPU).
  • Demonstrable experience architecting complex, multi-threaded, real-time systems on POSIX-based operating systems such as embedded Linux and/or QNX.
  • Hands-on experience with automotive-grade Type-1 hypervisors (e.g., QNX Hypervisor, Green Hills MULTIVISOR, Xen) and architecting for mixed-criticality systems that safely isolate guest operating systems.
Preferred Qualifications & Experience
  • Proven ability to thrive and lead in a complex, matrixed organization, ideally with prior experience in a joint venture, multi-partner collaboration, or a similarly cross-business environment.
  • Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with a demonstrated ability to articulate highly complex technical concepts clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences, from junior engineers to executives.
  • A strategic mindset with a proven ability to look beyond immediate technical challenges, anticipate future trends, and translate business needs into a coherent, long-term technical vision and roadmap.
  • World-class problem-solving skills and a high tolerance for ambiguity; the ability to make high-stakes technical decisions with conviction, even when faced with incomplete information.
  • Familiarity with automotive development processes and functional safety standards is highly desirable.
Pay DisclosureSalary Range/Hourly Rate for California Based Applicants: 237,200 USD - 296,500 USD (actual compensation will be determined based on experience, location, and other factors permitted by law).Benefits Summary: Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies provides robust medical/Rx, dental and vision insurance packages for full-time and part-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26. Full Time Employee coverage is effective on the first day of employment. Part-Time employee coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment.Equal OpportunityRivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are also committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable fair employment practice laws regarding citizenship and immigration status.Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at .Candidate Data PrivacyRivian and VW Group Technologies (“Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies”) may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) recordkeeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our People Team, Finance, Legal, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies affiliates; and (iii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies’ service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.Please see our and for more information.Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services.

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