Principal Application Software Engineer

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.

The Role 

We’re seeking an exceptional Principal Application SW Engineer to join our Japan-based team within the Application Engineering org, focused on localising and advancing Wayve’s autonomous driving technology for the japanese market. This is a unique opportunity to play a hands-on role in shaping our AV capabilities in Japan from the ground up.

In this role, you’ll be responsible for the bring-up and early validation of our AI software stack on customer hardware platforms, ensuring seamless performance across diverse SoCs and operating systems. You’ll collaborate closely with cross-functional teams across Verification, Release, and OEM partners to ensure smooth integration and reliable delivery.

Key responsibilities:

• Execute software bring-up on customer hardware platforms (e.g. NVIDIA Drive, Qualcomm Ride).

• Port and configure Linux-based systems, QNX, and Adaptive AUTOSAR environments.

• Integrate and validate drivers, middleware, and boot-time configurations.

• Collaborate with Verification & Release teams to integrate hardware into CI/CD, HIL, and test infrastructure.

• Work with OEM and Tier 1 teams to resolve hardware-specific integration issues.

• Implement system-level diagnostics, logging, and secure boot configuration.

• Develop automation for setup, flashing, health checks, and test execution on target hardware.

About you

In order to set you up for success as a Principal Application SW Engineer at Wayve, we’re looking for the following skills and experience.

Essential

• 8+ years of experience in embedded or automotive software development, ideally with hands-on platform bring-up experience.

• Strong proficiency in C/C++, Bash, and Python.
  Deep understanding of Linux-based embedded systems (Yocto, systemd, bootloaders, device trees).

• Familiarity with QNX and Adaptive AUTOSAR environments and the ability to configure and debug them on target hardware.
  Experience with bring-up on automotive-grade SoCs (e.g., NVIDIA Orin, Qualcomm SA8295/SA8650, Renesas, TI).

• Comfortable working with hardware debuggers, flashing tools, serial consoles, and board support packages (BSPs).

• Familiarity with communication protocols like CAN, Ethernet, PCIe, SPI, I2C.

• Hands-on experience integrating embedded platforms into CI/CD pipelines and test automation frameworks.

Desired 

• Exposure to automotive verification environments (e.g., HIL systems, Vector toolchains, custom CI rigs).

• Experience working in a safety-critical domain with an understanding of ISO 26262, boot-time determinism, and watchdogs.

• Understanding of secure boot, OTA updates, and system-level cybersecurity topics.

• Familiarity with Docker, Jenkins, Git, and artifact management tools like JFrog Artifactory.

This is a full-time role based in our office in Tokyo. At Wayve we want the best of all worlds so we operate a hybrid working policy that combines time together in our offices and workshops to fuel innovation, culture, relationships and learning, and time spent working from home.  We operate core working hours so you can determine the schedule that works best for you and your team.

#LI-KM1

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.