Distinguished Engineer, Embedded Vehicle Software

The posting, as Wayve wrote it

Before the detail, here's the challenge you'd help us solve.

We build the embodied intelligence that moves real vehicles safely, and the ecosystem a billion machines will run on in the future. Very few people in AI can say this. Every role here, whatever the team, plugs into that.

Here’s what this particular role covers.

🛠️ ABOUT OUR ENGINEERING TEAMS

Wayve’s Vehicle Software organization builds the embedded software foundations that connect our AI Driver to production vehicle hardware.

As a Distinguished Engineer in Vehicle Software, you’ll define the architecture and provide technical leadership for the next generation of Wayve’s vehicle software stack. You’ll work with advanced embedded compute platforms from NVIDIA, Qualcomm and other technology partners, shaping our operating-system and automotive-middleware roadmap to support state-of-the-art AI systems for autonomous driving.

This is a highly senior technical leadership role centered on architecture, hands-on technical judgement and broad influence. You’ll work across internal engineering teams, global automotive manufacturers and silicon partners to turn complex requirements into scalable, production-ready systems.

🧠 YOUR DAY-TO-DAY

You’ll establish the technical vision for Wayve’s embedded vehicle software and guide major architectural decisions affecting teams across the organization.

You’ll remain close to the technology—reviewing designs, exploring critical technical problems and helping teams make sound decisions across operating systems, middleware, performance, reliability and hardware integration.

You’ll also represent Wayve in strategic technical discussions with automotive manufacturers, NVIDIA, Qualcomm and other partners. Internally, you’ll mentor senior engineers, influence engineering leadership and help establish the development practices, tools and architectural principles needed to scale.

🧩 WHAT YOU’LL BE WORKING ON

• Defining embedded software architectures for advanced autonomous-driving systems
• Shaping the operating-system, middleware and hardware-abstraction roadmap for Wayve’s next-generation autonomy platform
• Improving system architecture, performance, reliability and scalability
• Evaluating and integrating advanced embedded compute platforms from NVIDIA, Qualcomm and other partners
• Collaborating across Vehicle Software, AI, hardware, systems, safety and OEM programme teams
• Working directly with automotive customers and external technology partners to deliver production-ready solutions
• Representing Wayve in technical discussions with OEM software and hardware architects
• Serving as Wayve’s senior technical representative in discussions with silicon partners
• Advocating for best-in-class software-development processes, architecture practices and engineering tools
• Mentoring senior engineers and helping shape the technical direction of the Vehicle Software organisation
• Leading complex, cross-functi

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g, conferences and professional growth
🩺 Comprehensive benefits, including health insurance, dental coverage, enhanced maternity and paternity leave, retirement support where applicable, access to therapists, wellbeing partnerships, team socials and more

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 $437,900, plus a competitive equity package. Actual compensation is based on the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience.

A quick, honest note before you apply.

Wayve is not a mature, fully-structured place with the playbook already written. Much of how we work is still being written, and if you join, you’ll help write it. That suits people who want real ownership more than people who need a settled structure from day one.

If that sounds like the kind of problem you want to spend your time on, we’d really like to hear from you.

At Wayve we're committed to creating a diverse, fair and respectful culture that is inclusive of everyone based on their unique skills and perspectives, and regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding) or any other basis as protected by applicable law.

For more information visit Careers at Wayve. https://wayve.ai/careers/ To learn more about what drives us, visit Values at Wayve https://wayve.ai/careers/

DISCLAIMER: We will not ask about marriage or pregnancy, care responsibilities or disabilities in any of our job adverts or interviews. However, we do look to capture information about care responsibilities, and disabilities among other diversity information as part of an optional DEI Monitoring form to help us identify areas of improvement in our hiring process and ensure that the process is inclusive and non-discriminatory.