Staff Software Engineer, Vehicle Applications

At Sonatus, we're driving the transformation to AI-enabled software-defined vehicles. Traditional automotive software methods can't keep pace with consumer expectations shaped by the mobile industry-where features evolve rapidly, update seamlessly, and improve continuously. That's why leading OEMs trust Sonatus to accelerate this shift. Our technology is already in production across more than 6 million vehicles on the road today and rapidly expanding.

Headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, with 250+ employees worldwide, Sonatus combines the agility of a fast-growing company with the scale and impact of an established partner. Backed by strong funding and proven by global deployment, we're solving some of the most interesting and complex challenges in the industry. Join us and help redefine what's possible as we shape the future of mobility.

Role Summary:

Sonatus is a leader in providing technologies and software to global OEMs to build software-defined vehicles. We are looking for a highly motivated Staff Software Engineer to join our fast-growing team. As part of a cross-functional team responsible for the full software development life cycle (SDLC), you will have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge in-vehicle software from conception through commercial deployment. This role reports to the Director of Engineering, Vehicle Development.

Responsibilities:

• Design and implement highly complex, resource-efficient, reliable, and safety-critical in-vehicle software from requirements through production and commercial deployment.
• Collaborate closely with peer engineers and cross-functional teams (QA, DevOps, system architects, product managers, project managers, hardware) to translate requirements into robust software components.
• Help coordinate day-to-day execution across the team, identifying blockers early and keeping work moving in alignment with project schedules.
• Participate in architecture discussions and contribute to design decisions with well-reasoned, clearly communicated input.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers, fostering a collaborative, high-quality engineering culture.
• Write clean, maintainable, well-documented code; maintain unit and integration tests.
• Analyze and enhance the efficiency, stability, and scalability of system resource usage.
• Participate in QA test plan reviews and collaborate with QA in debugging sessions.
• Contribute to and maintain technical documentation, including design docs and technical specifications.

Requirements:

• Bachelor''s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• 7+ years of software development experience.
• Expert-level proficiency in C/C++ (C++11 or later); strong grasp of data structures, algorithms, and OS fundamentals.
• Proficient in Python or other scripting languages.
• Proven experience as a tech lead or in a senior individual contributor role with demonstrated influence on team direction and code quality.
• Significant experience in systems design involving multi-threading and concurrency.
• Hands-on experience with inter-process communication (IPC) and middleware technologies (e.g., gRPC, protobuf, vSomeIP, shared memory).
• Experience with C++ build toolchains such as CMake or Bazel.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across functions and influence without authority.

Nice to have:

• MS/PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience building edge AI products.
• Experience with embedded operating systems (RTOS, Embedded Linux, Android)
• Familiarity with automotive and communication protocols such as CAN, CAN-FD, Ethernet (TCP/IP), SOME/IP, and Unified Diagnostics Services (UDS).
• Good understanding of hardware devices such as MCUs, CPUs, HPCs, and network switches.
• Experience with automotive software standards and product development (e.g., AUTOSAR Classic/Adaptive, ISO 26262, MISRA).
• Familiarity with ASPICE processes and automotive software development lifecycle practices.
• Experience with requirements management tools (e.g., Jama).
• Experience in project management and agile development methodologies.

Sunnyvale HQ Benefits & Perks Offered:

• Health care plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Flexible and Dependent Care Expense program
• Retirement plan (401k)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Unlimited paid time off per year, 14+ paid holidays
• Hybrid office work arrangement
• Complimentary lunches, snacks, and beverages during on-site working days
• Wellness benefit allowance
• Phone & Internet reimbursement
• Computer Accessory Allowance

The posted salary range is a general guideline and represents a good faith estimate of what Sonatus ("Company") could reasonably expect to pay for a base salary for this position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs. The Company reserves the right to modify this range in the future, as needed, as market conditions change.

Base Salary Pay Range

$168,500-$232,000 USD