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.
Role Summary
The Field Application Engineer (FAE) is a hands-on, vehicle system-level role. You will work directly on prototype vehicles and lab cars to investigate complex, cross-subsystem issues, capturing the data needed to reproduce and isolate them. You will also provide diagnostic and integration support on-site at partner facilities. The focus is on getting close to the hardware and the buses, producing clear findings that development teams can act on.
This role is based in our Berlin office and requires a minimum of three days per week onsite, with occasional travel to other company and partner sites as needed.
Responsibilities
- Perform hands-on diagnostics on prototype vehicles, including capturing network traces (CAN, LIN, Ethernet) and real-time data logs from ECUs and zonal controllers.
- Work at the vehicle system level to reproduce, characterize, and isolate reported issues across interacting subsystems.
- Set up and operate measurement and diagnostic equipment to gather ground-truth data directly from the vehicle.
- Run first-pass triage of field-reported symptoms to help distinguish software defects from environmental or hardware issues.
- Reproduce and characterize reported issues on target vehicles and test benches.
- Document technical findings, logs, and reproduction steps into clear hand-off reports for development teams.
- Log and update technical tickets in Jira, keeping status and evidence current.
- Travel to customer / partner sites, both domestically and internationally, for on-site diagnostics and integration support.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer/Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience.
- Foundational understanding of automotive network protocols (CAN, LIN, Ethernet) and willingness to deepen it quickly.
- Hands-on experience with bus-monitoring / diagnostic tools (e.g., Vector CANalyzer, PCAN, or equivalent) — required.
- Basic understanding of embedded systems and embedded operating systems.
- Scripting/programming ability (Python and/or C/C++) for log processing and data capture.
- Experience working within a CI/CD environment.
- Experience working with and developing within Git.
- Comfortable working hands-on with hardware in a lab or vehicle environment.
- Fluency in English required.
Total Rewards
In addition to a competitive base salary, full-time positions are eligible to participate in the annual company performance bonus program and equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval. Comprehensive benefits include health coverage, retirement savings, time off, and family planning programs (offerings vary by country).
Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.