Staff Software Engineer, Vehicle Applications

Role Summary:

Sonatus is a leader in providing technologies and software to global OEMs to build software-defined vehicles. We are looking for a highly motivated Staff Software Engineer to join our fast-growing team. As part of a cross-functional team responsible for the full software development life cycle (SDLC), you will have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge in-vehicle software from conception through commercial deployment. This role reports to the Director of Engineering, Vehicle Development.

Responsibilities:

• Design and implement highly complex, resource-efficient, reliable, and safety-critical in-vehicle software from requirements through production and commercial deployment.
• Collaborate closely with peer engineers and cross-functional teams (QA, DevOps, system architects, product managers, project managers, hardware) to translate requirements into robust software components.
• Help coordinate day-to-day execution across the team, identifying blockers early and keeping work moving in alignment with project schedules.
• Participate in architecture discussions and contribute to design decisions with well-reasoned, clearly communicated input.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers, fostering a collaborative, high-quality engineering culture.
• Write clean, maintainable, well-documented code; maintain unit and integration tests.
• Analyze and enhance the efficiency, stability, and scalability of system resource usage.
• Participate in QA test plan reviews and collaborate with QA in debugging sessions.
• Contribute to and maintain technical documentation, including design docs and technical specifications.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• 7+ years of software development experience.
• Expert-level proficiency in C/C++ (C++11 or later); strong grasp of data structures, algorithms, and OS fundamentals.
• Proficient in Python or other scripting languages.
• Proven experience as a tech lead or in a senior individual contributor role with demonstrated influence on team direction and code quality.
• Significant experience in systems design involving multi-threading and concurrency.
• Hands-on experience with inter-process communication (IPC) and middleware technologies (e.g., gRPC, protobuf, vSomeIP, shared memory).
• Experience with C++ build toolchains such as CMake or Bazel.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across functions and influence without authority.

Nice to have:

• MS/PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience building edge AI products.
• Experience with embedded operating systems (RTOS, Embedded Linux, Android)
• Familiarity with automotive and communication protocols such as CAN, CAN-FD, Ethernet (TCP/IP), SOME/IP, and Unified Diagnostics Services (UDS).
• Good understanding of hardware devices such as MCUs, CPUs, HPCs, and network switches.
• Experience with automotive software standards and product development (e.g., AUTOSAR Classic/Adaptive, ISO 26262, MISRA).
• Familiarity with ASPICE processes and automotive software development lifecycle practices.
• Experience with requirements management tools (e.g., Jama).
• Experience in project management and agile development methodologies.

Sunnyvale HQ Benefits & Perks Offered:

• Health care plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Flexible and Dependent Care Expense program
• Retirement plan (401k)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Unlimited paid time off per year, 14+ paid holidays
• Hybrid office work arrangement
• Complimentary lunches, snacks, and beverages during on-site working days
• Wellness benefit allowance
• Phone & Internet reimbursement
• Computer Accessory Allowance