Vehicle Systems Integration Engineer Jobs in California

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.

As a Systems Integration Engineer, you will play a key role in integrating and validating vehicle behaviors across software, hardware, and diagnostics domains. Working within the Rivian–VW Group joint venture, you will help ensure vehicle features behave correctly in the real world across component, subsystem, bench, and vehicle environments.

In this role, you will work closely with cross-functional development teams, including software, hardware, validation, manufacturing, and diagnostics, to help bring new capabilities into stable vehicle execution. You will support hands‑on vehicle integration and triage for core behaviors related to power modes, wake/sleep transitions, energy management, ECU interactions, and vehicle state orchestration. Your day‑to‑day execution will directly impact product quality, efficiency, launch readiness, and the end‑user experience.

• System Integration: Support system-level integration of vehicle features across ECUs, software baselines, and hardware releases.

• Environment Split: Validate vehicle behaviors related to wake, sleep, reset, and power transition scenarios. This role requires a balance of desk‑based data triage, lab‑bench/HIL environment execution, and hands‑on, in‑vehicle testing.

• Hardware‑to‑Design Alignment: Verify that intended software behaviors are fully achieved in the physical vehicle, identifying and logging any gaps between hardware performance and design specifications.

• Platform Readiness: Help prepare and bring up controllers, next‑gen platforms, and networked systems for integration milestones.

• Technical Collaboration: Act as a key engineering point of contact for integration topics across software, hardware, validation, manufacturing, and diagnostics teams.

• Feature Tracking: Support the coordination and tracking of new features and system changes from early development through release readiness.

• Issue Closure: Help drive closure of integration gaps by investigating test findings, tracking dependencies, and documenting technical issues for stakeholders.

• Edge Case Testing: Execute test cases designed to ensure system behaviors are resilient across normal operation, corner cases, and degraded modes.

• Triage & Investigation: Conduct first‑line triage and investigations into system‑level issues observed on benches, HIL environments, development vehicles, or in manufacturing.

• Network Debugging: Debug distributed vehicle interactions using vehicle logs, network traces, and ECU‑level data across CAN, LIN, Automotive Ethernet, and diagnostics channels.

• Test Execution: Execute integration test plans covering functional behavior, sequencing, timing, fault handling, and regression risk.

• Technical Communication: Clearly document root causes, isolate failures to specific domains (SW vs. HW), and track corrective actions across teams.

• Scripting & Tooling: Use and maintain Python scripts, automated test workflows, and analysis methods to accelerate log validation and issue triage.

• Observability: Help improve system observability by identifying gaps in logging and recommending better debug approaches for complex integration issues.

• Process Support: Follow and contribute to robust integration processes, documentation standards, and release readiness practices across the team.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.

• 3+ years of experience in automotive systems integration, embedded systems, validation, or a closely related discipline.

• Strong understanding of embedded software development lifecycles (SDLC) and vehicle functions within automotive E/E architectures.

• Hands‑on experience debugging vehicle systems using tools such as CANoe, CANalyzer, Wireshark, or equivalent trace and analysis tools.

• Direct experience working with network protocols like CAN, LIN, or Automotive Ethernet, and basic ECU‑level interactions.

• Experience executing test cases and validating features across bench, HIL, or physical vehicle environments.

• Ability to utilize Python for log parsing and basic test scripting, or experience with similar data analysis tools (e.g., MATLAB).

• Solid written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain technical issues to cross‑functional peers.

• Proven ability to take ambiguous vehicle behavior, gather relevant logs, and drive structured troubleshooting to root cause.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience testing vehicle power modes, wake and sleep behavior, low‑voltage power management, or related vehicle state control systems.

• Familiarity with HIL simulation setups, ECU simulation, or vehicle‑level validation workflows.

• Familiarity with modern zonal or domain‑based E/E architectures.

• Basic knowledge of UDS diagnostics or manufacturing vehicle bring‑up activities.

• Experience working in a fast‑paced automotive environment with multiple global teams.

• Basic understanding of ISO 26262 Functional Safety concepts.

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.

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 candidateaccommodations@rivian.com.

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) and Candidate Data Privacy Notice (Serbian) 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.