Sr. Software Engineer - Android Display & Graphics

Location: Palo Alto, California

About Us

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world.

The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone.

Role Summary:

The Infotainment Platform team at Rivian Volkswagen Technologies is looking for a skilled Platform Engineer to join our Automotive Software team. We are developing the next generation, Android-based in-vehicle experience that will be deployed across all future electric vehicles in the Rivian and Volkswagen Group portfolios. In this role, you will own the architecture and implementation of the display subsystem, ensuring that pixels travel from applications to the physical screens efficiently, correctly, and reliably.

You will work deep within the display and graphics stack, bridging the gap between high-level applications and low-level hardware drivers. You will be responsible for enabling complex multi-display setups, optimizing display and graphics performance, and ensuring the stability of the visual experience in our next-generation vehicles.

Key Responsibilities:

• Display & Graphics Stack Ownership: Design, develop, and maintain the display pipeline across both Android and non-Android platforms — focusing on SurfaceFlinger, Window Manager, and the Hardware Composer (HWC) HAL on Android, and equivalent compositor/display-server stacks such as Wayland/Weston and OpenWF Display (OpenWFD) on QNX/Linux-based systems.

• Multi-Display Architecture: Engineer solutions for complex automotive display topologies, including Instrument Clusters, Central Infotainment (IVI), Passenger Displays, and Rear Seat Entertainment systems.

• SoC Display Bring-Up & Integration: Partner directly with automotive infotainment SoC vendors to bring up and validate new display panels and interfaces on target hardware, spanning both Android and non-Android display stacks (e.g. OpenWF Display / OpenWFD on QNX-based systems, and Wayland/Weston compositors on Linux-based systems).

• Performance Optimization: Analyze and optimize the graphics pipeline to ensure 60FPS+ performance, low latency, and efficient memory bandwidth usage. Debug VSYNC issues, frame drops, and jank.

• HAL & Driver Integration: Work with SoC vendors to integrate and debug display drivers, ensuring proper communication between the Android Framework and the Kernel (DRM/KMS).

• Stability & Robustness: Investigate and resolve stability issues such as screen freezes, black screens, and graphical artifacts. Analyze ANRs and native crashes related to the display/graphics stack.

• Feature Development: Implement custom display features such as dynamic resolution switching, content mirroring, and hardware-accelerated layering/composition.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with the Hardware, Kernel, and HMI Application teams to define requirements and resolve cross-layer dependencies.

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.

• 3+ years of experience in embedded software development or platform engineering.

• Strong proficiency in C++ and C. Familiarity with Java/Kotlin for Android Framework debugging.

• Deep understanding of Android framework components like SurfaceFlinger, BufferQueue, and the Android display/graphics architecture.

• Experience implementing or debugging HIDL/AIDL interfaces, specifically the Hardware Composer (HWC) or Gralloc.

• Solid understanding of Linux OS internals, memory management (Ion/Dmabuf), and multi-threading.

• Familiarity with low level display HW including Serializer/Deserializer, video links and display interfaces.

• Hands-on experience integrating and bringing up new displays on automotive infotainment SoCs (e.g. Qualcomm Snapdragon Cockpit/Ride, NXP i.MX, TI Jacinto), including working knowledge of non-Android display compositor stacks such as OpenWF Display (OpenWFD) and Wayland/Weston.

• Proficiency with version control systems like Git.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Low-Level Display: Knowledge of Linux DRM/KMS (Direct Rendering Manager / Kernel Mode Setting) subsystem and V4L2.

• Automotive Standards: Experience with Android Automotive OS (AAOS) specific features like EVS (Exterior View System) or Cluster display management.

• Functional Safety: Familiarity with display related automotive functional safety aspects.

• Virtualization: Familiarity with display virtualization (VirtIO-GPU) and hypervisor environments (e.g., QNX, Gunyah).

• SoC Experience: Experience bringing up display stacks on major automotive SoCs (Qualcomm Snapdragon, MediaTek, NXP, etc.).

• Tools: Proficiency with performance profiling tools like Systrace, Perfetto, and vendor-specific GPU profilers.

• Graphics APIs: Experience with OpenGL ES, Vulkan, or EGL.

Total Rewards

We build the exceptional — and we believe the people doing that work should be rewarded accordingly. In addition to a competitive base salary, full-time positions may be is eligible to participate in our annual company performance bonus program.

Payments are discretionary and not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on company results and the terms of the plan in effect, and require active employment at the time of payout. This role is also eligible for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval and the terms of our equity incentive plans, including applicable vesting requirements.

In addition to our compensation programs, we invest in our people with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, wellbeing, and financial future for full-time employees — including health coverage, retirement savings, time off, and family planning programs. Offerings vary by country. Learn more about our global benefit programs.

External candidates can apply for this role through the Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies careers site (https://rivianvw.tech/#careers). If you are a current employee, please apply through our internal job board.

Equal Opportunity

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are also committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable fair employment practice laws regarding citizenship and immigration status.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at candidateaccommodations@rivian.com.

Candidate Data Privacy

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies” may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) record keeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our People Team, Finance, Legal, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies affiliates; and (iii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies’ service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.

If you provide a mobile telephone number as part of your application or during the recruitment process, Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may use that number to contact you via SMS text message for recruitment-related purposes, including scheduling, logistics, and status updates. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any text message you receive from us. Consent to receive SMS messages is not a condition of applying for or being considered for employment.

Please see our Candidate Data Privacy Notice (English) and Candidate Data Privacy Notice (Serbian) for more information.

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Please note this job posting represents an open, active vacancy. Additionally, we are not currently accepting applications from third party application services.