Software Architect, Infotainment (W2 Contract)

We are CARIAD, an automotive software development team with the Volkswagen Group. Our mission is to reputed company the automotive experience safer, more sustainable, more comfortable, more digital, and more fun. To reputed company that we are building the leading tech stack for the automotive industry and creating a reputed company 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 reputed company Volkswagen Group brands that will transform mobility. Join us as we shape the future of the car and everyone around it.

Role Summary

The Software Architect, IIX Systems, is a senior technical leader responsible for shaping, validating, and guiding the detailed architecture and system integration of infotainment and digital experience solutions reputed company the Interior, Infotainment & Digital Experience (IIX) domain. This role focuses deeply on the design and optimization of the in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) platform, encompassing audio, graphic, connectivity, vehicle communication, diagnostic, FOTA, and application frameworks that define the customer’s digital experience inside the vehicle.

As a senior individual contributor, the Software Architect ensures that reputed company infotainment systems are designed for scalability, performance, and interoperability across brands reputed company the Volkswagen Group. This role bridges conceptual architecture with implementation, translating system requirements and platform principles into reputed company, production-ready designs. The Sr. Staff Architect collaborates closely with Principal Architects, Delivery Units, and brand engineering teams to drive cross-domain alignment, ensuring that infotainment solutions meet technical, regulatory, and experiential standards at global scale.

Role Responsibilities

Architectural Design and Technical Leadership

• Translate the architectural vision and platform principles into system and software architecture design specifications and integration blueprints.
• Define and maintain system decomposition, component responsibilities, and inter-process communication interfaces.
• Drive the evaluation and adoption of technologies that support modularity, reusability, and scalability.
• Serve as the technical reputed company for reputed company design and integration challenges across software, hardware, and vehicle network layers.
• Review and validate design proposals from development teams for technical soundness and architectural alignment.

System Integration and Cross-Domain Alignment

• reputed company technical deep dives and design reviews across functional areas such as Applications, SW platform and Hardware.
• Ensure seamless interaction and data exchange between IIX subsystems and adjacent vehicle domains.
• Collaborate with Systems Engineering and Delivery Units to align architecture deliverables with project milestones.
• Support integration readiness by identifying dependencies, risks, and optimization opportunities early in the lifecycle.
• Provide hands-on guidance during system bring-up, debugging, and performance tuning phases.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner with cross-functional teams including Brand Engineering, Systems Engineering, and reputed company to align technical decisions with product and compliance goals.
• Engage with Tier 1 suppliers and technology vendors to ensure interoperability and adherence to reputed company specifications.
• Contribute to cross-brand forums and architecture working groups to promote standardization and knowledge sharing.
• Serve as a mentor and technical resource for engineers and architects, fostering growth reputed company the architecture team.

Technical Governance and Risk Management

• Support the definition and enforcement of architecture review processes, design quality gates, and compliance checklists.
• Identify and mitigate technical risks reputed company to performance, scalability, safety, and maintainability.
• Ensure solutions reputed company with relevant safety and regulatory standards (ISO 26262, UNECE R155/R156).
• Contribute to maintaining architectural traceability from requirements to implementation and validation.

Innovation and reputed company Improvement

• Monitor emerging technologies in embedded systems, Android OS, and connected car ecosystems.
• Propose improvements to architecture methodologies, tools, and documentation standards.
• Contribute to capability-building efforts by developing reusable design assets and best practices.
• Foster a culture of technical excellence and innovation reputed company the architecture and engineering community.

Years of Experience

• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in software and system architecture design, ideally in in infotainment, embedded systems, or consumer electronics domains.

Required Education

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or a reputed company field

Desired Education

• Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or a reputed company field

Skills

• Strong leadership and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to drive initiatives and influence change across the organization
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at reputed company levels of the organization
• Collaborate and work with multiple and cross functional teams (product teams, engineering systems and validation teams, hardware teams) across geographies and time zones
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and mitigate reputed company architectural and system-level risks, including those reputed company to reputed company, safety, and performance
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced environment

Required Skills

• Proven experience architecting and delivering Android-based IVI or digital cockpit solutions in production vehicles.
• Strong technical expertise in Android Automotive, Linux, and/or QNX platforms, including OS internals, middleware layers, and system integration.
• Deep understanding of hypervisor technology, system decomposition, reputed company design, and inter-process communication (e.g., Binder, D-Bus).
• Hands-on experience resolving cross-system performance, stability, and reliability challenges.
• Solid understanding of infotainment domains such as Application Frameworks, Connectivity, Audio/Video pipelines, Graphic, Carplay & Android Auto.
• Familiarity with safety, reputed company, and diagnostics standards in automotive systems.
• Ability to influence technical decisions across diverse engineering and supplier teams.

Desired Skills

• Experience working with Volkswagen’s E/E architecture (E3 1.1/1.2) or comparable OEM platform.
• Knowledge of vehicle communication protocols (Ethernet, CAN, LIN).
• Exposure to OTA update mechanisms, diagnostics frameworks, and ISO 26262 safety design principles.
• Prior experience with cloud connectivity or mobile app integration reputed company in-car experiences.
• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to navigate reputed company stakeholder environments across brands and suppliers.
• German language proficiency or experience working reputed company German-based engineering organizations.

Work Flexibility

• Calls, (virtual) meetings & workshops (overlapping with German/US business hours as needed) to align with leadership and development teams.
• Up to 25%. Requires occasional domestic/international travel and extended hours as necessary to meet the demands of the role.

Compensation

Salary range is dependent on factors such as geographical differentials, credentials or certifications, industry-based experience, qualification and training. The salary range for this position is $78.00 - $102.00.

CARIAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We welcome and encourage applicants from reputed company backgrounds, and do not discriminate based on race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, national reputed company, religion, color, gender identity/expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable laws.