Senior Software Engineer - Display/Touch Infotainment Platform

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies

$135K — $160K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
  • 5+ years of experience in embedded software development or platform engineering focused on display and input technologies.
  • Proficient in C/C++ programming.
  • Deep understanding of embedded operating systems like Linux, QNX, or Android Automotive.
  • Solid knowledge of display/input frameworks (e.g., Linux DRM/KMS, Android SurfaceFlinger/InputManager).
  • Experience with hardware interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, MIPI DSI).
  • Strong problem-solving and debugging skills, along with ability to work in teams.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and maintain display drivers and compositor frameworks for automotive systems.
  • Integrate drivers for touch panels and physical infotainment buttons, optimizing input processing.
  • Tune the glass-to-glass pipeline, enhancing frame rates and reducing latency for touch and display.
  • Collaborate with hardware vendors to bring up new display panels and input interfaces.
  • Diagnose and fix complex display and input issues using various software tools.
  • Implement advanced features like dynamic backlight control and multi-display synchronization.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define software requirements and ensure compliance with safety standards.

Benefits

  • Participation in an annual company performance bonus program (discretionary).
  • Eligibility for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs).
  • Comprehensive health coverage and retirement savings plans.
  • Generous time off policies and family planning programs.
Full Job Description
Role Summary

The Infotainment Platform team at Rivian Volkswagen Technologies is looking for a skilled Software Engineer to join our Automotive Software team. We are developing the next generation, Android-based in-vehicle experience that will be deployed across all future electric vehicles in the Rivian and Volkswagen Group portfolios. You will work on the architecture, integration, and optimization of both display and input subsystems for our next-generation infotainment platforms. In this role, you will own the end-to-end pipeline from the low-level hardware drivers (touch controllers, display panels, physical buttons) up through the OS frameworks (Linux, QNX, Android Automotive) to ensure a seamless, highly responsive, and visually flawless user experience.

Join us in driving the future of automotive infotainment!

Responsibilities
  • Display & Graphics Pipeline: Develop, integrate, and maintain display drivers and compositor frameworks (e.g., DRM/KMS, SurfaceFlinger, Wayland, OpenWFD) for complex, multi-display automotive topologies.
  • Touch & Input Subsystems: Develop and integrate drivers and middleware for touch panels (capacitive, resistive) and physical infotainment buttons (e.g., hard keys, rotary dials, steering wheel controls). Optimize input processing, gesture recognition, multi-touch coordination, and noise filtering within the OS input frameworks (e.g., Android InputFlinger, Linux evdev).
  • Performance Optimization: Tune the complete glass-to-glass pipeline. Optimize frame rates, visual quality (color accuracy, white point tuning), and touch/button latency to ensure a fluid, highly responsive user experience.
  • Hardware Bring-Up & Integration: Partner closely with hardware vendors and SoC partners to bring up new display panels (LCD, OLED) and input interfaces via standard buses (MIPI DSI, I2C, SPI) and SerDes links.
  • System-Level Debugging: Investigate and resolve complex display and input issues (e.g., screen freezes, visual artifacts, touch ghosting, missed button presses, dropped frames) using software profilers, gdb, JTAG, and logic analyzers.
  • Feature Development: Implement advanced system features such as dynamic backlight control, power sequencing, resolution switching, fault monitoring, and multi-display synchronization.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Hardware engineers, UI/UX designers, and System teams to define requirements, document software architectures, and ensure compliance with automotive safety and EMC requirements.


Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
  • 5+ years of proven experience in embedded software development or platform engineering, specifically focusing on display panels, touch screens, and hardware input technologies.
  • Strong proficiency in C/C++ programming.
  • Deep understanding of embedded operating systems such as Linux, QNX, or Android Automotive OS.
  • Solid grasp of display and input frameworks (e.g., Linux DRM/KMS, Android SurfaceFlinger/InputManager).
  • Experience with hardware peripherals and interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, MIPI DSI).
  • Excellent problem-solving, system-level debugging, and teamwork skills.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience bringing up automotive infotainment platforms on major SoCs (e.g., Qualcomm Snapdragon, NXP).
  • Familiarity with graphics libraries and hardware compositors (OpenGL ES, Vulkan, HWC).
  • Experience with automotive communication protocols (CAN, Automotive Ethernet).
  • Familiarity with display virtualization (VirtIO-GPU) and hypervisor environments (e.g., QNX, Gunyah).
  • Proficiency with performance profiling tools like Systrace, Perfetto, and vendor-specific GPU profilers.
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.

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.

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