Sr. Functional Safety Engineer - Steer by Wire

About this role

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.

ROLE SUMMARY

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.

RESPONSIBILITIES

- 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

QUALIFICATIONS

- 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 REWARDS

We build the exceptional — and we believe the people doing that work should be rewarded accordingly. In addition to a competitive base salary, full-time positions may be is eligible to participate in our annual company performance bonus program.

Payments are discretionary and not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on company results and the terms of the plan in effect, and require active employment at the time of payout. This role is also eligible for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval and the terms of our equity incentive plans, including applicable vesting requirements.

In addition to our compensation programs, we invest in our people with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, wellbeing, and financial future for full-time employees — including health coverage, retirement savings, time off, and family planning programs. Offerings vary by country. Learn more about our global benefit programs https://rvtech.mybenefits.life/.

External candidates can apply for this role through the Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies careers site (https://rivianvw.tech/#careers). If you are a current employee, please apply through our internal job board https://app.ashbyhq.com/internal/job-board/b10a9912-eb45-4a84-9a34-84b2a459923a.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

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 information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are also committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable fair employment practice laws regarding citizenship and immigration status.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at [email protected].

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