Hardware Systems Performance Architect - Connectivity​/Vehicle Access

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.

In this position, you will lead efforts within the Hardware Systems Architecture team to characterize performance of low‑voltage electrical (LVE) systems in Rivian vehicles, with the aim to influence hardware architecture decision‑making in early development stages, and to validate system designs in later stages of the development cycle. This is a hardware architecture role that requires a familiarity with wireless connectivity systems necessary to identify, and quantify system‑level performance metrics, anticipate key design risks, and validate system architecture performance against requirements.

This role spans the characterization of various wireless technologies at the system and sub‑system level including their associated networks, compute, and power related performance dimensions, related to WiFi, BT/BLE, 4G/5G, GNSS, and UWB deployment into telematics, passive / keyless vehicle access system (VAS), and other domains.

• Drive the collaboration between hardware architecture, hardware design and software application teams to create comprehensive characterization plans that surface key performance metrics, provide insight into system bottlenecks and chokepoints, reveal over‑/under‑design scenarios, and validate system performance relative to system requirements.
• Work cross‑functionally to factor high‑level functional and performance requirements into their respective sub‑systems, distill them into clear system architecture performance requirements capable of validation, and evolve these requirements into future architecture.
• Lead and support the design, integration and automation efforts related to characterization and validation activities on various hardware testing configurations, including early prototypes boards, bench‑top sub‑system mock‑ups, lab cars, mules, and other HIL infrastructure.
• Orchestrate the end‑to‑end development of systems and automation for performance characterization ranging from development of requirements to identification of solutions and their implementation, including integration of h/w and s/w, establishment of control and data acquisition pipelines, and development of downstream data processing infrastructure.

• Execute characterization plans, leverage analytical methods, and present clear validation metrics and reports that support data‑driven architectural decisions, and validate the resulting designs.
• Contribute to mock‑ups or prototypes to study next‑gen technologies, establish proofs‑of‑concept, and/or serve as reference platforms for future bring up, system integration, system‑level validation, or future architecture inclusion.
• Lead the development of hardware and software that enables characterization, testing and certification of wireless sub‑systems using robotic automation to measure relevant RF system KPIs vs positional ground truth around the vehicle under test.

Required Competencies:

• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or a related field, and a track record of 8+ years of hands‑on experience in relevant practical settings.
• Deep familiarity with landscape of wireless automotive technologies, e.g. WiFi, BT, BLE, LTE, 5G, especially those relevant to keyless vehicle access, including NFC, BLE, UWB, and their performance evaluation and/or certification at the RF, protocol and systems integration levels.
• Familiarity with system design and/or certification related to Connect Car Consortium (CCC) and/or Made for iPhone (MFi) keyless entry systems at the module and system levels.
• Experienc…