Software Architect – Robotics & Drones

As a Software Architect for Robotics & Drones at Aptiv, you will provide technical leadership for the design, development, and deployment of next-generation software platforms powering autonomous robotic systems. You will define software architecture, collaborate with development teams, and ensure scalable, reliable, safe, and high-performance solutions across robotics, drone, and intelligent machine platforms. Working at the intersection of embedded software, robotics, AI/ML, autonomy, sensing, and systems engineering, you will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams spanning software, hardware, systems, product strategy, and customer engineering organizations.

Responsibilities

• Lead software architecture planning, design, implementation, and deployment for robotics and drone platforms.
• Define, document, and maintain scalable, modular, and reusable software architectures and interfaces.
• Participate in product/platform planning, requirements definition, and evaluation of architectural alternatives.
• Allocate software functionality across components, middleware, services, and hardware platforms.
• Define and ensure fulfillment of critical non-functional requirements including performance, timing, reliability, and scalability.
• Establish software development standards, coding guidelines, and architecture best practices.
• Review architecture, design, code, open-source usage, and release readiness to ensure quality and compliance.
• Collaborate with Agile teams to evolve platform architecture and maximize software reuse.
• Architect software platforms running on embedded microprocessors, microcontrollers, and heterogeneous computing platforms.
• Support defining resource budgets for CPU utilization, memory, storage, power consumption, bandwidth, and latency.
• Collaborate with hardware teams to influence processor selection, sensor integration, networking, and platform trade-offs.
• Support development on Linux and RTOS-based environments.
• Guide implementation of real-time, deterministic, and safety-relevant software capabilities.
• Collaborate with systems engineering teams to define customer requirements, use cases, and interface specifications.
• Work closely with Product Development and Product Strategy teams to define platform roadmaps and feature sets.
• Work with customers, suppliers, and stakeholders to define requirements, expected system behavior, and platform roadmaps.
• Support new program pursuits, change requests, estimations, and customer quotations.
• Establish performance, reliability, maintainability, and scalability metrics.
• Drive implementation of automated testing, continuous integration, and software quality processes.
• Support compliance with applicable industry standards and development processes.
• Develop, analyze, and realize reusable software products and platform capabilities.
• Support definition of functional requirements and ownership of key non-functional requirements.
• Align interfaces across internal and external software components and partner integrations.
• Drive built-in quality through architecture reviews, CI/CD, testing, and quality processes.
• Support software DFMEA, safety, cybersecurity, and compliance activities in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Architect software platforms supporting AMRs, drones and industrial automation systems.
• Collaborate with robotics teams developing perception, localization, navigation, planning, mission management, and control software.
• Design middleware and communication frameworks leveraging technologies such as ROS 2, DDS, Ethernet, and service-oriented architectures.
• Define interfaces between sensors, actuators, embedded controllers, edge devices, and cloud services.
• Support integration of cameras, radar, lidar, ultrasonic sensors, GPS/GNSS, IMUs, and other sensing technologies.
• Drive architectural decisions for distributed and heterogeneous robotic systems.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in embedded software development.
• 3+ years in a software architecture, technical lead, or principal engineer role.
• Proven experience defining software architectures for complex embedded systems.
• Experience modeling tools such as Enterprise Architect.
• Strong understanding of software engineering principles and embedded hardware/software architectures.
• Experience with embedded processors and platforms from NVIDIA, Qualcomm, NXP, Renesas, AMD, Intel, TI, or similar vendors.
• Experience with Linux-based embedded operating systems and/or RTOS environments.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++.
• Experience driving architecture decisions across multidisciplinary organizations.
• Experience with the V-model development flow.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Nice to have

• 12+ years of experience in embedded software and system architecture.
• Knowledge of AI/ML, Edge Computing, IoT, or Robotics platforms.
• Experience with robotics, autonomous systems, drones, AMRs/AGVs, industrial automation, or intelligent machines.
• Experience with ROS 2, DDS, robotics middleware, or distributed embedded software architectures.
• Experience integrating camera, radar, lidar, GPS, IMU, ultrasonic, and other sensor technologies.
• Experience with Docker, CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and automated software deployment.
• Familiarity with communication protocols including CAN, Ethernet, TSN, DDS, and similar.
• Experience with low-level software development including SPI, I2C, UART, Ethernet, PCIe, and device drivers.
• Familiarity with simulation and virtual validation environments such as Gazebo, Isaac Sim, AirSim, CARLA, or equivalent platforms.
• Knowledge of functional safety standards and safety-critical development processes, including ISO 26262, IEC 61508 or related standards.
• Familiarity with Automotive SPICE, AUTOSAR, or equivalent structured software development methodologies.