Principal Application Software Engineer

Inclusive Culture Statement

At Wayve we're committed to creating a diverse, fair and respectful culture that is inclusive of everyone based on their unique skills and perspectives, and regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding) or any other basis as protected by applicable law.

About Us

Founded in 2017, Wayve is the leading developer of Embodied AI technology. Our advanced AI software and foundation models enable vehicles to perceive, understand, and navigate any complex environment, enhancing the usability and safety of automated driving systems. Our vision is to create autonomy that propels the world forward. Our intelligent, mapless, and hardware-agnostic AI products are designed for automakers, accelerating the transition from assisted to automated driving.

In our fast‑paced environment big problems ignite us—we embrace uncertainty, leaning into complex challenges to unlock groundbreaking solutions. We aim high and stay humble in our pursuit of excellence, constantly learning and evolving as we pave the way for a smarter, safer future. At Wayve, your contributions matter. We value diversity, embrace new perspectives, and foster an inclusive work environment; we back each other to deliver impact. Make Wayve the experience that defines your career!

The Role

We’re seeking an exceptional Principal Application SW Engineer to join our Germany‑based team within the Application Engineering org, focused on localising and advancing Wayve’s autonomous driving technology for the German market. This is a unique opportunity to play a hands‑on role in shaping our AV capabilities in Germany from the ground up.

In this role, you’ll be responsible for the bring‑up and early validation of our AI software stack on customer hardware platforms, ensuring seamless performance across diverse SoCs and operating systems. You’ll collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams across Verification, Release, and OEM partners to ensure smooth integration and reliable delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute software bring‑up on customer hardware platforms (e.g. NVIDIA Drive, Qualcomm Ride).
• Port and configure Linux‑based systems, QNX, and Adaptive AUTOSAR environments.
• Integrate and validate drivers, middleware, and boot‑time configurations.
• Collaborate with Verification & Release teams to integrate hardware into CI/CD, HIL, and test infrastructure.
• Work with OEM and Tier 1 teams to resolve hardware‑specific integration issues.
• Implement system‑level diagnostics, logging, and secure boot configuration.
• Develop automation for setup, flashing, health checks, and test execution on target hardware.

Essential

• 8+ years of experience in embedded or automotive software development, ideally with hands‑on platform bring‑up experience.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++, Bash, and Python. Deep understanding of Linux‑based embedded systems (Yocto, systemd, bootloaders, device trees).
• Familiarity with QNX and Adaptive AUTOSAR environments and the ability to configure and debug them on target hardware. Experience with bring‑up on automotive‑grade SoCs (e.g. NVIDIA Orin, Qualcomm SA8295/SA8650, Renesas, TI).
• Comfortable working with hardware debuggers, flashing tools, serial consoles, and board support packages (BSPs).
• Familiarity with communication protocols like CAN, Ethernet, PCIe, SPI, I2C.
• Hands‑on experience integrating embedded platforms into CI/CD pipelines and test automation frameworks.

Desired

• Exposure to automotive verification environments (e.g., HIL systems, Vector toolchains, custom CI rigs).
• Experience working in a safety‑critical domain with an understanding of ISO 26262, boot‑time determinism, and watchdogs.
• Understanding of secure boot, OTA updates, and system‑level cybersecurity topics.
• Familiarity with Docker, Jenkins, Git, and artifact management tools like JFrog Artifactory.

This is a full‑time role based in our office in Leonberg. We operate a hybrid working policy that combines time together in our offices and workshops to fuel innovation, culture, relationships and learning, and time spent working from home. We operate core working hours so you can determine the schedule that works best for you and your team.

Wayve is committed to creating an inclusive interview experience. If you require any accommodations or adjustments to participate fully in our interview process, please let us know.

We understand that everyone has a unique set of skills and experiences and that not everyone will meet all of the requirements listed above. If you’re passionate about self‑driving cars and think you have what it takes to make a positive impact on the world, we encourage you to apply.

Disclaimer: We will not ask about marriage or pregnancy, care responsibilities or disabilities in any of our job adverts or interviews. However, we do look to capture information about care responsibilities, and disabilities among other diversity information as part of an optional DEI Monitoring form to help us identify areas of improvement in our hiring process and ensure that the process is inclusive and non‑discriminatory.