The posting
ABOUT US
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.
ROLE SUMMARY
We are looking for an experienced engineering manager to lead the hardware design team responsible for the end-to-end design and development of our next-generation infotainment and in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) electronic control units. These ECUs are high-performance automotive computers built around multi-core CPU, GPU, and AI accelerator silicon, and they drive the core user-facing experience of the vehicle — displays, audio, connectivity, and the UI/UX and visualization functions customers interact with every time they drive.
This is a hands-on technical leadership role. You will own the hardware design discipline for infotainment which includes architectural requirements decomposition, schematic definition, high-speed digital and RF design, PCB layout strategy, signal and power integrity, bring-up, design verification, and the transition to volume production. Your team's output will ship in both Rivian and Volkswagen Group vehicles, which means designing to two OEM requirement sets, supporting global suppliers and manufacturing partners, and holding a high bar for quality, cost, and schedule at the same time.
RESPONSIBILITIES
TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP
- Own the hardware design strategy for infotainment and IVI ECUs, from concept and silicon selection through production release and lifecycle support.
- Guide the team through complex high-speed digital design: high-compute automotive SoCs, LPDDR5/5X-class and next-generation memory interfaces, PCIe, MIPI (DSI/CSI), USB, Gigabit and multi-gig Automotive Ethernet, and display serialization (GMSL / FPD-Link).
- Drive signal integrity, power integrity, thermal, and EMC/EMI strategy as first-class design inputs rather than late-stage fixes; ensure simulation and measurement correlate.
- Chair and raise the bar on design reviews at every gate — architecture, schematic, layout, DFM/DFT, and DV readiness — and make the final technical call when the team is split.
- Stay close enough to the silicon and the lab to debug alongside your engineers on the hard problems and to challenge a design decision on its merits.
PROGRAM AND CROSS-FUNCTIONAL EXECUTION
- Own hardware deliverables, schedule, and risk for assigned infotainment programs, and report status credibly to engineering and program leadership.
- Translate Rivian and VW Group product, UX, and system requirements into hardware requirements, interface specifications, and verification plans.
- Partner with embedded software and systems teams on boot, BSP, display pipeline, and HW/SW interface definition so that bring-up is planned, not improvised.
- Own the hardware BOM and drive cost and part-standardization decisions with supply chain and commodity management; hardware cost is a core business lever in this role.
- Work with suppliers, ODM/JDM/EMS partners, and internal manufacturing on industrialization, yield, test coverage, and field failure analysis.
- Ensure designs meet automotive process and compliance expectations, including ISO 26262 where applicable, AEC-Q component qualification, and regional regulatory and homologation requirements.
PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATION
- Recruit, hire, and onboard electronic design engineers; build a team strong in both breadth and deep specialization.
- Coach and develop engineers through regular 1:1s, clear goals, direct feedback, and calibrated performance and promotion decisions.
- Define and hold the team's design standards — schematic and library conventions, review checklists, documentation, and release process — so quality does not depend on who happened to do the design.
- Plan headcount, workload, and tooling; balance program demands against long-term platform and technology investment.
- Build a culture where engineers surface bad news early, disagree productively, and take ownership past the handoff.
QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in electronic hardware design, with a significant portion on complex high-speed digital and mixed-signal automotive or consumer compute products.
- 3+ years of direct people management, or a demonstrated track record as a technical lead with formal responsibility for a team's output, development, and hiring.
- Proven experience designing or leading designs built around high-compute SoCs.
- Demonstrated expertise in high-speed memory interface design (DDR / LPDDR) and high-speed serial interfaces (PCIe, MIPI, Ethernet, USB).
- Hands-on experience with RF module integration or chip-down RF for cellular, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, GNSS, or V2X.
- Solid working command of signal integrity and power integrity principles, simulation tools, and PCB stack-up and layout strategy.
- Experience with EMC/EMI design practice and troubleshooting, and with environmental and reliability qualification.
- Track record of taking complex hardware from concept through design verification into volume production, including ownership of DV plans and issue resolution.
- Fluency with lab bring-up and characterization — oscilloscopes, spectrum and network analyzers, protocol analyzers, thermal imaging.
- Familiarity with schematic capture and PCB toolchains (Altium Designer, OrCAD, or equivalent).
- Strong written and verbal communication, and the judgment to know what to escalate, when, and to whom.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience delivering infotainment, telematics, or ADAS / central compute ECUs to a production vehicle program.
- Depth in power management architecture for high-current, multi-rail compute ECUs, including sequencing and thermal budgeting.
- Working knowledge of automotive networking — CAN, CAN FD, LIN, Automotive Ethernet.
- Experience applying functional safety (ISO 26262) and cybersecurity (ISO/SAE 21434) to hardware design.
- Familiarity with display and audio subsystem design, touch controllers, and camera interfaces.
- Experience with ADS or comparable tools for RF design, simulation, and tuning.
TOTAL REWARDS
We build the exceptional — and we believe the people doing that work should be rewarded accordingly. In addition to a competitive base salary, full-time positions may be is eligible to participate in our annual company performance bonus program.
Payments are discretionary and not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on company results and the terms of the plan in effect, and require active employment at the time of payout. This role is also eligible for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval and the terms of our equity incentive plans, including applicable vesting requirements.
In addition to our compensation programs, we invest in our people with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, wellbeing, and financial future for full-time employees — including health coverage, retirement savings, time off, and family planning programs. Offerings vary by country. Learn more about our global benefit programs https://rvtech.mybenefits.life/.
External candidates can apply for this role through the Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies careers site (https://rivianvw.tech/#careers). If you are a current employee, please apply through our internal job board https://app.ashbyhq.com/internal/job-board/b10a9912-eb45-4a84-9a34-84b2a459923a.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Rivian 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 [email protected].
CANDIDATE DATA PRIVACY
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) record keeping; (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.
If you provide a mobile telephone number as part of your application or during the recruitment process, Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may use that number to contact you via SMS text message for recruitment-related purposes, including scheduling, logistics, and status updates. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any text message you receive from us. Consent to receive SMS messages is not a condition of applying for or being considered for employment.
Please see our Candidate Data Privacy Notice (English) https://assets.ctfassets.net/2md5qhoeajym/53otRWdzXPzSdWPgiel5T/07c61b0eed2d91f2f403f788fd20d315/RVTech_Candidate_Data_Privacy_Notice_-_Nov_2024.pdf and Candidate Data Privacy Notice (Serbian) https://assets.ctfassets.net/2md5qhoeajym/40xUZMehbGToclkLqWXW0E/eb5b553bd8af7c607066253fbb227bda/RVTech_Candidate_Data_Privacy_Notice_-_Nov_2024_Serbian.pdf for more information.
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Please note this job posting represents an open, active vacancy. Additionally, we are not currently accepting applications from third party application services.
