Software Engineer II Embedded

We are CARIAD, an automotive software development team with the Volkswagen Group. Our mission is to make the automotive experience safer, more sustainable, more comfortable, more digital, and more fun. To achieve that we are building the leading tech stack for the automotive industry and creating a unified software platform for over 10 million new vehicles per year. We’re looking for talented, digital minds like you to help us create code that moves the world. Together with you, we’ll build outstanding digital experiences and products for all Volkswagen Group brands that will transform mobility. Join us as we shape the future of the car and everyone around it.

Role Summary:          

The Software Engineer II, Embedded contributes to the development of embedded software supporting CARIAD’s next-generation automotive compute platforms within the Hardware Platform Development (HPD) team. This role supports board bring-up activities, low-level driver development, base software integration, and debugging and validation workflows required to transition new hardware into production-ready systems. The Software Engineer II collaborates cross-functionally with hardware, systems, validation, and external suppliers to deliver reliable, well-tested software components that meet performance, safety, and quality requirements.

Role Responsibilities:

Embedded Software Development & Integration

• Embedded Software Development & Integration
• Develop and maintain low-level embedded software components in C/C++ (drivers, services, utilities) under guidance from senior engineers.
• Contribute to BSP integration activities (boot chain, kernel configuration, device tree/board configuration as applicable).
• Work within established coding standards, participate in code reviews, and improve maintainability and performance.

Board Bring-up & HW/SW Debugging

• Support board and SoC bring-up activities including log capture, issue triage, and defect reproduction.
• Debug hardware–software interaction issues using systematic root-cause methods and lab tools (serial console, gdb, basic instrumentation).
• Collaborate with hardware engineering and vendors to validate fixes and document workarounds.

Testing, Quality Assurance, Compliance & Standards

• Write and maintain unit/integration tests or bring-up validation scripts as appropriate.
• Contribute to continuous integration and regression workflows (build, flash, smoke tests) in partnership with the team.
• Help improve diagnostics, logging, and observability to reduce time-to-debug and improve software quality.

Collaboration / Communication / Documentation

• Coordinate with systems and validation teams on requirements, acceptance criteria, and test readiness.
• Communicate status, risks, and technical findings clearly in tickets and design notes.
• Maintain up-to-date documentation for bring-up procedures, known issues, and configuration changes.

General Skills:

• Analytical debugging skills and a structured approach to problem solving.
• Clear written and verbal communication; able to summarize issues, root cause, and next steps.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (hardware, systems, validation, manufacturing) across time zones.
• Ability to work independently on scoped tasks while seeking timely feedback and reviews.
• Strong attention to detail, prioritization, and follow-through in a fast-paced development environment.

Required Specialized Skills:

• Proficiency in C/C++ for embedded systems development.
• Working knowledge of embedded Linux and/or RTOS fundamentals (processes/threads, memory, IPC).
• Basic experience with device drivers, BSP concepts, and hardware abstraction layers.
• Experience with source control (Git) and modern code review workflows.
• Hands-on debugging with tools such as gdb, logs/traces, and basic lab instrumentation.

Desired Skills: 

• Experience with Yocto-based Linux builds and cross-compilation toolchains.
• Exposure to secure boot, OTA update mechanisms, and software signing concepts.
• Familiarity with automotive networks and diagnostics (CAN/CAN FD, Automotive Ethernet, UDS).
• Awareness of functional safety and cybersecurity concepts (ISO 26262, ISO/SAE 21434).

Workplace Flexibility:

• Calls, (virtual) meetings & workshops (overlapping with German business hours as needed) to align with global stakeholders an