Staff Software Engineer - Vehicle Platforms

Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build a transportation ecosystem that will make our roads safer, get crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all.

We’re searching for a Staff Software Engineer, Vehicle Platforms. In this role you will serve as a key contributor to the software foundation that integrates our compute, sensors, and networking into a unified self-driving fleet. We are hiring for this role to lead the evolution of our onboard systems from individual vehicle integrations into a scalable, high-performance service platform that ensures the Aurora Driver operates with maximum reliability and efficiency.

In this role you will

• Architect and lead the design of the vehicle compute and networking stack, ensuring a modular and scalable interface between autonomy software and diverse hardware platforms.
• Drive the technical roadmap for hardware health monitoring and fleet-wide performance optimization, transforming raw system metrics into actionable insights for fleet reliability.
• Lead cross-functional integration efforts for new sensors and embedded devices, defining the standards for low-latency data interfaces used by the autonomy stack.
• Establish rigorous engineering standards for Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing and automated performance profiling to guarantee the safety and stability of onboard code.
• Mentor senior engineers and provide technical oversight on complex system-level challenges, ranging from Linux kernel tuning to multi-layer networking protocols (OSI Layers 1-4).

Required qualifications

• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a proven track record of leading large-scale architectural projects at the hardware/software interface.
• Expert-level C++ programming skills and the ability to design high-performance, thread-safe, and memory-efficient systems in a Linux environment.
• Experience with networking protocols including low-level (CAN bus, UDP, TCP) and high-level (gRPC, RTP, HTTP) communication.
• 7+ years of experience in system-level development, including deep knowledge of Linux networking stacks, performance profiling, and hardware bring-up.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional projects that require coordination between software, hardware, and systems engineering teams.

Desirable qualifications

• Experience working with sensors used for autonomy: lidars, radars, cameras, etc.
• Mastery of Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) protocols such as PTP/gPTP and experience with Ethernet switching architectures.
• Experience developing safety-critical systems or working within functional safety frameworks (e.g., ISO 26262).
• Deep expertise in performance optimization for heterogeneous compute (CPU, GPU, and hardware accelerators).
• Professional networking certifications (e.g., CCNA/CCNP) and a strong understanding of complex OSI model interactions.
• Experience designing distributed health-monitoring frameworks for large-scale robotic or automotive fleets.

The base salary range for this position is $189,000- $303,000. Aurora’s pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate’s starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. The successful candidate will also be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.

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