Sr Principal Software Engineer

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, auto

Benefits

Additional Information

We are CARIAD , an automotive software development team with the Volkswagen Group. Our mission is to make the automotive experience safer, more sustainable, more comfortable, more digital, and more fun. To achieve that we are building the leading tech stack for the automotive industry and creating a unified software platform for over 10 million new vehicles per year. We're looking for talented, digital minds like you to help us create code that moves the world. Together with you, we'll build outstanding digital experiences and products for all Volkswagen Group brands that will transform mobility. Join us as we shape the future of the car and everyone around it. 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. In addition to delivering critical embedded software (BSP/MCAL/boot chain/OS services) and leading complex bring-up, the Sr Principal sets technical standards, establishes governance, and resolves the highest-impact cross-program technical risks. The role partners closely with hardware, systems, safety, security, validation, and manufacturing leaders to ensure end-to-end platform integrity and regulatory compliance.As a multiplier, this position builds technical communities, mentors other engineers, shapes multi-year roadmaps, and represents CARIAD in external technical forums and strategic partner engagements to accelerate innovation and platform maturity.

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