Principal Engineer – Embedded Systems & Security Job Irvine area,California USA,Software Development

Brief Description Principal Engineer - Embedded Systems & Security

We are seeking an experienced Principal Engineer – Embedded Systems & Security to join our automotive engineering organization. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in both cloud-based microservices architectures and embedded automotive systems, with a strong understanding of functional safety (ISO 26262) and an emphasis on cybersecurity (ISO 21434) standards.

This role bridges vehicle-side embedded control systems with cloud and edge computing services, helping define and implement next-generation Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) architectures.

The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise with experience in software development environments, particularly within the automotive sector, and has a solid understanding of A-SPICE and Agile methodologies.

Be part of an innovative team shaping the next generation of Software-Defined Vehicles.
Work across the full vehicle software stack—from embedded ECUs to cloud infrastructure.
Collaborate with industry-leading experts in automotive architecture, AI/ML, and cloud systems.

Responsibilities (include, but are not limited to):

Ensure architectural alignment with ISO 21434 cybersecurity principles
Lead cybersecurity initiatives, own the cybersecurity management system
Define and evolve the end-to-end software architecture across vehicle and cloud platforms, covering edge devices, embedded ECUs, zone controllers, and cloud services.
Design and guide implementation of microservice-based architectures for data analytics, OTA (Over-the-Air) updates, diagnostics, and connected vehicle features.
Collaborate with hardware, systems, and software teams to ensure scalable, modular, and safe system integration.
Lead architecture reviews and define software interfaces, service APIs, and communication protocols (e.g., SOME/IP, DDS, MQTT, REST/gRPC).
Mentor cross-functional engineering teams on architecture best practices, design patterns, and code quality standards.
Evaluate and integrate third-party technologies, frameworks, and tool chains to improve platform capabilities.
Support model-based system design, safety analysis, and traceability of requirements to implementation.
Other duties, as assigned.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
10+ years of experience in software architecture or systems engineering within automotive or embedded domains.
Proven experience in both cloud-native software development (microservices, containers, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, RESTful APIs) and low-level embedded development (C/C++, AUTOSAR, RTOS, bootloaders, CAN/Ethernet).
Strong understanding of distributed systems, data communication protocols, and service discovery.
Hands-on experience designing or validating safety-critical systems under ISO 26262 (ASIL-B or higher).
Formal training in ISO 21434 or equivalent cybersecurity frameworks for connected vehicles.
Experience with Dev Ops, container orchestration, and secure software deployment pipelines.
Proficiency in multiple programming languages (e.g., C, C++, Python, Java, Rust, or Go).

Preferred Qualifications (In Addition To Required)

3+ years leading cybersecurity architecture and process practices with adherence to U.N. R155/R156
Experience with zonal architectures, service-oriented automotive platforms, or vehicle-cloud synchronization.
Familiarity with AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud automotive solutions.
Understanding of vehicle diagnostics (UDS/DoIP), OTA update frameworks, and data logging/telemetry systems.
Knowledge of AUTOSAR Adaptive, ASIL decomposition strategies, and cybersecurity threat modeling.
Experience with Simulink, Model-Based Systems Engineering…