Automotive Software Engineer Jobs in Phoenix, AZ

Software Engineer III (Coordinator of Code)

$160k – $190k / year

Fully remote 

Description

RTA is an AI-forward company, and we mean it in the boring, practical way: our engineers use AI tooling every day, we pay for it, you don't need approval to try something new, and AI-powered features are on our actual product roadmap, not just a slide. If you're an engineer whose output has outpaced your years because you learned to work with these tools instead of around them, you will not have to fight for permission here.

Do you enjoy building robust software that powers real products? Do you thrive on turning messy requirements into elegant code? Do you have an uncanny ability to hunt down performance bottlenecks and fix them with style and flair?

I'm an Engineering Manager at RTA, and I'm looking for a Software Engineer III to help us build the solutions that keep our customers' fleets rolling. This role is about crafting scalable, high-quality code, performing insightful code reviews, and keeping our systems secure and reliable. If this sounds like you, you could be the peanut butter to our jelly.

What great looks like here

We're not looking for the most tickets closed. We're looking for the engineer other engineers get faster because of:

• You're a force multiplier, not just a fast typist. The best engineers we've worked with are remembered for the test harness, the deploy script, or the doc that made everyone else quicker, not their personal ticket count.
• You close loops without asking permission. You can take a vaguely worded customer complaint, find the actual defect, ship the fix, and tell people it's done, all inside a week without a meeting to authorize it.
• You've owned an incident end to end. Diagnosed it, fixed it, wrote the postmortem, and made it not happen again.
• You delete code. Tell us about a system you removed or simplified, not just one you built.
• You take ownership and initiative. You identify how to make processes and products better without waiting to be told.

AI at RTA (this part is a requirement, not a bonus)

We want someone who has actually built with these tools, not someone who has read about them. Specifically:

• You work agentically, not with autocomplete. You've used Claude Code, Codex, or similar to drive multi-file refactors, migrations, and test coverage, not just accept single-line suggestions. You maintain the context files, rules, and prompts that make those tools work for a whole team, not just for you.
• You've shipped an LLM-backed feature and dealt with the consequences. Nondeterministic output in a test suite. Token cost that surprised somebody. Latency the UI had to absorb. Guardrails on data that cannot be wrong. Tell us what broke and what you changed.
• You have an eval habit. You can explain how you knew an AI feature actually got better, rather than just felt different.
• You know when not to use a model. Our customers track DOT compliance, warranty claims, and parts inventory. Some of that must never be answered by something probabilistic, and you can tell which parts.
• Bring proof. A repo, an eval suite, a rules file, an internal tool you built for your team. Anything real counts for more with us than another year of experience on paper.

The human part

In general, someone who:

• Is passionate about serving others.
• Takes pride in being a Software Engineer and finds fulfillment in seeing the team's solutions succeed and grow.
• Is comfortable on a team that thrives on healthy conflict. People with thin skin need not apply. No, seriously.
• Passionately cares about our clients by helping them be more successful. Our clients are fleet managers, parts clerks, and automotive technicians who maintain everything from squad cars to school buses, so everyone comes home safely at the end of the day.
• Thinks of themselves less, while not thinking less of themselves. Other-centric, compassionate, and self-assured.
• Is willing to lift boxes, clean floors, and hold doors if that's what it takes, because no job is beneath them.
• Loves to read, learn, grow, and stretch. Bonus points for each book they've read by Patrick Lencioni.

Specifically for this job, someone who:

Has 4–7 years of professional software development experience, with at least 2 years hands-on building production-grade applications in Node.js.

• Works proficiently in Node.js, JavaScript (and/or relevant frameworks), and MSSQL. TypeScript experience is a big plus.
• Has shipped with AI. See the AI section above. This one is not optional.
• Understands and uses Docker for containerization and AWS for hosting and deployment.
• Uses GitHub as the source repository and is comfortable with pull requests and code reviews.
• Designs REST APIs and is familiar with SOA principles.
• Thrives on collaboration with product managers, developers, QA, and engineering leadership to scope requirements and deliver effective solutions.
• Writes secure, maintainable, well-documented code that others can easily build on.
• Responds calmly and quickly to last-minute changes, with tact and poise.
• Communicates effectively with concise, solutions-oriented feedback.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and maintain features: clean, scalable code in Node.js, JavaScript frameworks, and MSSQL.
• Architect and integrate: build RESTful services and integrate microservices following SOA principles.
• Code reviews: peer review for quality, security, and maintainability.
• Collaborate across teams: work with Product, QA, and other engineers to clarify requirements, troubleshoot, and refine features.
• Build AI-powered features: use AI tooling to move faster, and take real ownership of AI-powered feature work as it lands on the roadmap.
• Deploy and monitor: Docker for containerization, AWS for hosting, sound deployment and monitoring practice.
• Champion best practices: share knowledge, propose improvements, refine internal processes.
• Ensure performance and scalability: analyze system performance, diagnose bottlenecks, implement optimizations.

What success looks like

By day 90, you have:

• Independently delivered a meaningful customer-facing feature to production, start to finish, with appropriate support when needed
• Joined the on-call rotation and resolved a production issue without escalating
• Made one measurable improvement to the team's tooling, tests, documentation, or AI workflow that at least one teammate now uses daily
• Given code reviews your teammates describe as useful rather than rubber-stamp

By the end of year one, you have:

• Taken end-to-end ownership of a service or domain area, including its reliability and its roadmap input
• Contributed meaningfully to at least one AI-powered feature that reached production customers
• Measurably improved something we track: p95 latency on a key endpoint, flaky test count, deploy time, or defect escape rate
• Made onboarding into your area faster for the next engineer, because of docs or tooling you built

How we'll evaluate

• A conversation with the hiring manager about your work and how you use AI tooling
• A team conversation to evaluate mutual fit and discuss your technical experience, decisions, and problem-solving approach

Qualifications

OK, the "boring" HR part that's necessary:

• 4–7 years of relevant experience in software engineering roles.
• 3+ years of hands-on Node.js experience.
• Demonstrated experience building with AI: Professional experience using AI-assisted development tools as part of your regular workflow is required. Experience shipping LLM-powered product features is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency with JavaScript frameworks (Express, React, Vue, or similar), Node.js, TypeScript, MSSQL, Docker, and AWS.
• Familiarity with REST/SOA principles and microservice architectures.
• Proficient with GitHub (branching, merging, code reviews, pull requests).
• Bachelor's degree not required but preferred, especially in computer science or a related field.

The bottom line

We're looking for ideal team players with an almost frightening intensity around customer service and a passion for serving others. If that's you, and this is your type of company, click apply.

Compensation and work location

Total compensation for the role is between $160k and $190k, depending on experience.

This is a full-time, fully remote US role, with occasional travel to our Glendale, AZ HQ for team gatherings.

This position is classified as exempt and is not eligible for overtime pay.

Why top talent chooses RTA

We invest in our people. Period.

• 401(k) with 6% Safe Harbor match (100% vested day one)
• Flexible PTO model built on trust and manager-approved time off
• Cigna Dental, Vision and Medical. PPO and HSA medical plan options with company HSA contributions ($780–$1,950 annually)
• Garner Health HRA program: up to $1,000 individual / $2,000 family reimbursement opportunity
• Wellness rewards up to $350 annually
• Virtual care and mental health support resources
• Company-sponsored benefits including dental, vision, EAP, life, STD, LTD, legal plan, and identity theft protection options
• Additional employee perks, wellness initiatives, and discount programs

The part we're most proud of

• 99% of employees say RTA is a Great Place to Work® (Certified 3 years running)
• 30% ARR growth for two years straight
• We are an AI-forward company building for the future
• Big growth. Real benefits. Strong culture. A team that delivers.

About us

RTA has been established since 1979 and has the reputation of providing the best customer service in the market. Our purpose is to help fleets succeed. We pride ourselves on creating a caring, family-oriented atmosphere for both staff and clients, and love that our work makes a positive impact on the lives we touch. Our clients carry kids in school buses, first responders in emergency vehicles, patients in ambulances, food and medical supplies in trucks, and people just taking the bus or train to work. We do meaningful work, and we want our clients to have the best tools available to them.

Our office spaces are open, spacious, and colorful, with plenty of natural light. We come together often as a company to enjoy freshly baked desserts or awesome lunches and genuinely enjoy each other's company. We offer some pretty unique perks and benefits, as well as all the standard ones. We're happy to talk through all the options.

Physical and travel requirements

This role has the following physical requirements:

• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods
• Ability to work at a computer for prolonged periods
• Occasional visits to RTA HQ in Glendale, Arizona for team events should be expected. 

Reasonable accommodation

RTA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process or perform the essential functions of this role, please notify us at hr@rtafleet.com.

Employment notices

Employment with RTA is at-will. This means either the employee or the company may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, subject to applicable law.

Employment with RTA may be contingent upon successful completion of a background check and other pre-employment screenings, consistent with applicable law.

We cannot accept student visas or provide sponsorship at this time.

Equal employment opportunity

RTA is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.

Notice of AI Use in Job Application Review

As part of our commitment in creating a fair, efficient, and consistent hiring process we may use artificial intelligence (AI) to help our recruiting teams organize, summarize, and analyze information provided by candidates, including resumes, application responses, and other materials submitted during the application process.AI may be used to identify patterns, highlight relevant skills, and experience, and assist in comparing a candidate’s qualifications with the requirement of a specific role. These tools are to improve efficiency and consistency while supporting more informed hiring decisions, which will ultimately be made by the hiring team.