Sr. Functional Safety Engineer - Steer Wire

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.

As a Sr. Functional Safety Engineer in the Propulsion and Dynamics domain, you will be responsible for ensuring the safety of Steer‑by‑Wire (SbW) systems by applying the ISO 26262 standard throughout the entire development lifecycle. You’ll work closely with cross‑functional teams to develop the safety concept for SbW components including the Road Wheel Actuator (RWA), Handwheel Actuator (HWA)/Force Feedback Actuator (FFA), zonal controllers and the respective redundancy/fallback mechanisms.

You will play a key role in managing the functional safety lifecycle for the RWA (Road Wheel Actuator/ Rack Actuator), from initial definition through validation. As part of this activity, you will be responsible for conducting deep dives into each subsystem safety architectures, reviewing their safety analysis, test plans, and results. Additionally, your support will be required for fault insertion testing of the Steer‑by‑Wire (SBW) system.

You will also serve as a technical expert and a central point of contact for various engineering teams, guiding them on functional safety compliance and providing independent peer reviews of their work.

• Contribute to Rivian’s steer‑by‑wire feature requirements and provide functional safety guidance during SbW system and component definition
• Perform vehicle‑level and component level safety analysis on SbW subsystems
• Capture functional safety requirements within the requirements tool and maintain traceability and quality across the SbW safety concept
• Develop test case specifications for steer‑by‑wire functional safety requirements, covering both hardware‑in‑loop (HIL) and vehicle‑level validation scenarios
• Support bench and HIL tests as well as system and vehicle validation of functional safety requirements for SbW actuators, control units, and redundancy paths
• Work with vehicle and system architecture teams to derive functional safety requirements and technical safety requirements from derived SbW safety goals
• Collaborate with engineers at the system, hardware, and software development levels on SbW actuators, control units, and fail‑safe/fail‑operational behavior to assist in achieving functional safety objectives
• Support development and review of the SbW Safety Concept, including definition of degraded‑mode operation and residual risk handling

• Degree education in Electrical/Electronic or Mechatronics (or similar)
• 1‑5 years of experience within the automotive industry (or equivalent), ideally OEM or Tier 1 working within functional safety
• Good interpersonal and communication skills with a high level of integrity
• Experience working within a cross‑functional team
• Proven knowledge of ISO 26262 and experience applying within an OEM or Tier 1
• Experience with vehicle dynamics, chassis systems, or steering system design is preferred

Total compensation packages for full‑time positions include base salary, eligibility for an annual performance bonus, and eligibility for equity.

In addition, our benefits package has been designed to support the health and wellness of our employees. Benefit offerings include Flex Time Off, retirement savings plans as well as medical, vision and dental coverage. For more information on RV Tech’s comprehensive benefits package for full‑time employees, check out our Global Benefits Site.

External candidates can apply for this role through the RV Tech Careers site (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). If you are a current employee, please apply through our internal job board.

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