Sr Principal Software Engineer

Role Summary

The Technical Lead Sr Principal Software Engineer, BSW is a senior technical leader and enterprise-wide authority for base software on high-performance automotive computing platforms across CARIAD and the Volkswagen Group. This role owns BSW platform strategy and architectural direction, driving scalable, reusable foundations that enable multiple vehicle programs from concept through production.

Role Responsibilities

• Platform Architecture, Strategy & Governance
• Own the BSW platform architecture across multiple ECUs/programs; define the target architecture, key interfaces, and reusable patterns.
• Drive multi-year BSW roadmap (boot chain, OS services, diagnostics, update/flash, HW abstraction, safety/security enablers) aligned to product and hardware roadmaps.
• Establish engineering standards, design review governance, and reference implementations adopted across CARIAD and Volkswagen Group partners.
• Set technical strategy for vendor/third-party stack integration (e.g., OS, hypervisor, MCAL/BSW suppliers), including build-vs-buy decisions and performance targets.
• Cross-Program Technical Leadership
• Lead resolution of the most complex, cross-domain issues (hardware/software/system), including critical escalations and program-level tradeoffs.
• Partner with Safety, Security, and Systems Engineering to ensure architecture supports ISO 26262, cybersecurity requirements, and compliance evidence needs.
• Align technical decisions across product, integration, validation, and manufacturing to reduce platform fragmentation and improve reuse.
• Represent CARIAD in cross-brand technical working groups and strategic partner engagements to drive alignment and accelerate delivery.
• Embedded Software Development & Bring-Up
• Architect, design, and implement core base software components (BSP, MCAL integration, bootloaders, OS services, diagnostics) for high-performance ECUs.
• Lead board bring-up, low-level driver development, and root-cause debug using advanced instrumentation, fault injection, and performance profiling.
• Guide implementation of robust CI/CD, static/dynamic analysis, and automated validation frameworks for production-quality embedded software.
• Operational Excellence & Talent Multiplication
• Mentor and develop Principal/Staff engineers; grow technical communities of practice and raise engineering quality through coaching and review.
• Define metrics and continuous-improvement initiatives (quality, reliability, build stability, test coverage) to improve delivery predictability.
• Support manufacturing, validation, and operations teams for production test workflows, flashing/update processes, and field issue triage.

General Skills

• Recognized technical authority with strong systems thinking and ability to simplify complex platform decisions for diverse audiences
• Executive-ready verbal and written communication; able to influence outcomes across organizations without direct authority
• Deep expertise in embedded/BSW architecture, platform scaling, and long-term maintainability for safety- and security-critical systems
• Proven ability to define engineering standards, governance models, and reusable patterns adopted across multiple programs
• Strong integration skills — joining people, processes, or systems across domains (HW/SW/System/Safety/Security/Manufacturing)
• Excellent prioritization and decision-making in ambiguous, multi-stakeholder environments; balances time-to-market with platform health
• Mentorship and talent-building: develops other senior engineers, grows technical communities, and raises org-wide engineering quality
• Continuous improvement mindset; drives metrics, automation, and operational excellence across the full software lifecycle

Required Skills

• Deep expertise in embedded software platform development and integration for high-performance automotive systems
• Strong knowledge of vehicle EE architectures and automotive development processes
• In-depth understanding of functional safety (ISO 26262) and proven experience implementing them in software
• Mastery of embedded system software architecture, real-time operating systems, and web framework components and their interfaces
• Strong knowledge of connected HPC software components, peripherals, and infotainment systems
• Hands-on experience in the design, validation, and introduction of software into mass production
• Expertise in multiple programming and scripting languages, including C, C++, Java, Python, and HTML5, with a strong focus on performance, maintainability, and scalability
• Demonstrated ability to apply best practices, align with emerging technology trends, and influence architectural and design decisions through trade-off analysis
• Proven track record of mentoring and providing technical leadership to engineering teams, shaping software practices and driving adoption of modern development principles

Desired Skills

• Knowledge of connected navigation, ADAS, and infotainment technologies, with practical experience in system-level integration
• Familiarity with cloud-oriented and mobile internet application architectures, including integration with vehicle systems
• Proven ability to lead rapid prototyping, validation, and proof-of-concept development for new software features or platforms
• Experience with software design and architecture for consumer electronics, bridging automotive and broader embedded system domains

Years of Relevant Experience

13+ Years of software development experience with BSW (embedded/low-level), including platform architecture and cross-program technical leadership

Required Education

Bachelor's in Engineering

Desired Education

Master’s Degree in Engineering