Sr. Software Development Engineer in Test, Infotainment

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.

The Infotainment and Connectivity QA Infrastructure team builds and maintains the automation frameworks, CI/CD pipelines, and hardware test bench infrastructure that power quality assurance for RVTech's infotainment systems. This role is responsible for developing Python‑based automation, physically building and maintaining hardware test rigs, and keeping CI/CD pipelines reliable and fast so the broader QA organization can test continuously and ship with confidence.

The person will work closely with test engineers, firmware teams, and Dev Ops to troubleshoot failures across the code, network, and hardware stack. This is a hybrid role based out of Palo Alto.

• Design, build, and maintain Python‑based automation frameworks to control and monitor hardware test benches.
• Manage and optimize CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Git Lab CI) to support continuous testing and rapid deployment cycles.
• Physically assemble, configure, and maintain computer systems and hardware test rigs, including component selection and setup.
• Administer Linux‑based test environments, ensuring systems are configured, patched, and tuned for reliable performance.
• Serve as first responder for test bench failures, triaging whether root cause is a software bug, network issue, or hardware fault.
• Collaborate with test engineers and firmware/software teams to define automation requirements and integrate new hardware into the test infrastructure.
• Monitor system health and pipeline performance, proactively identifying and resolving bottlenecks or recurring failure patterns.
• Document automation tooling, bench configurations, and troubleshooting procedures to support team knowledge‑sharing.

• 5+ years of experience writing Python for automation, scripting, or hardware/CLI interaction.
• Demonstrated experience working in Linux environments, including shell scripting, file permissions, and package management.
• Hands‑on experience assembling or maintaining physical computer hardware.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot and isolate root causes across software, network, and hardware layers under time pressure.

• Experience with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, Git Lab CI, or Git Hub Actions.
• Familiarity with system monitoring and observability tooling in Linux environments.
• Experience building or maintaining hardware test benches or lab infrastructure in a QA or engineering context.
• Exposure to network troubleshooting (e.g., basic packet capture, routing, connectivity diagnostics).
• Experience working cross‑functionally with firmware, software, or Dev Ops teams in a fast‑paced test environment.

Full‑time positions include base salary, eligibility for an annual performance bonus, and eligibility for equity.

In addition to base salary, Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies offers benefits tailored to the local market. For more information on the benefits available for full‑time employees, check out our Global Benefits Site.

External candidates can apply for this role through the Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies careers site. If you are a current employee, please apply through our internal job board.

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…