Technical Director, Embedded Vehicle Software

About the role

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! Wayve is building the next generation of autonomous driving technology: intelligent, adaptable, and software-defined. As Technical Director, Embedded Software Architecture , you will be the hands-on technical leader who defines and leads the architecture of our vehicle software platform, powering the AI systems that bring autonomy to life. You will work with the most advanced embedded compute platforms from NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and other leading partners , defining how our operating systems, middleware, and hardware abstraction layers come together to enable scalable, efficient, and safe vehicle software. This is a deeply technical role where you'll stay close to the code, prototype solutions, review critical components, and directly influence system performance and reliability. You will also shape technical direction across teams and act as a senior representative of Wayve in external technical discussions with OEM and silicon partners.

Responsibilities

• Design and evolve the embedded software architecture for Wayve's next-generation autonomy platform.
• Develop and guide hands-on prototypes and reference implementations that demonstrate key architectural decisions.
• Analyze and optimize system performance, reliability, and scalability across the embedded stack.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with internal AI, platform, and vehicle systems teams, and with external partners including NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and OEMs .
• Drive the adoption of modern development practices, tools, and standards for high-assurance embedded software.
• Mentor senior engineers through technical reviews and joint design work - leading through technical depth and influence, not headcount.
• Represent Wayve as the principal technical voice in discussions with partners and customers on software and hardware architecture.
• About you
• You've successfully delivered complex, high-performance, or safety-critical software systems into production, and you're used to operating at the scale and rigor of Big Tech or high-end automotive programs .
• Essential Experience
• 15+ years in software and systems engineering, with strong expertise in embedded systems for robotics, automotive, or similar domains.
• Demonstrated hands-on software development experience in C/C++ , with familiarity in Python or Rust .
• Proven ability to deliver large-scale systems to production, with deep involvement in architecture, design, and code.
• Expertise in system performance analysis, optimization, and debugging .
• Experience leading through technical influence - shaping teams of 25+ engineers and impacting organizations of 100+ engineers.
• Ability to represent the company in external technical discussions with OEMs, chip vendors, and partners.
• Desirable Experience
• Automotive or safety-critical software experience.
• Familiarity with NVIDIA Drive platforms (Orin, DriveOS, DriveWorks).
• Experience with automotive software frameworks (e.g. AUTOSAR ).
• This role is a full-time role based in Sunnyvale, CA (hybrid) and the reasonably estimated salary for this role ranges from $347,500 to $457,900, plus a competitive equity package. Actual compensation is based on the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience.
• 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 posi

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