Software Engineer, VCU (Vehicle Control Unit)

Bot Auto · Houston

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Company Introduction

At Bot Auto, we build autonomous trucks to transform the way goods are transported and improve the quality of life for communities worldwide. With a start-up spirit yet long-established experience, Bot Auto has the most seasoned team that has delivered several world’s first and world’s only. Together, we share vision, we see and build miracles and we drive the future of transportation. Join us and turn your dream into something RUNNING.

Position Overview

We are seeking a VCU Software Engineer to design, implement, integrate, and validate production-grade embedded software for advanced vehicle control systems. This role owns work across requirements, architecture, model-based development, embedded C/C++, AUTOSAR integration, and MIL/SIL/HIL validation. The ideal candidate combines strong vehicle-controls fundamentals with disciplined software engineering and hands-on debugging across simulation, bench, and vehicle environments.

Key Responsibilities

Software System Design:

• Own the VCU software lifecycle from requirements analysis and architecture through implementation, integration, validation, release, and field support.
• Define and maintain system and software requirements, architecture, interfaces, state machines, fault handling, and safe-state behavior.
• Translate vehicle-level requirements into clear, testable software requirements with end-to-end traceability.
• Partner with controls, hardware, systems, autonomy, validation, manufacturing, and service teams to optimize performance, safety, reliability, and diagnosability.

Embedded Software Development:Application Software and Integration:

• Develop and optimize VCU application software using MATLAB/Simulink/Stateflow and embedded C/C++, including production-code generation where appropriate.
• Implement vehicle operating modes, torque coordination, power and energy management, diagnostics, fault management, and drive-by-wire supervisory functions.
• Integrate application software with AUTOSAR Classic components and layers, including ASW, RTE, BSW, MCAL, and external ECU interfaces.
• Perform code and model reviews, static analysis, debugging, timing and memory analysis, and performance optimization to deliver robust real-time software.
• Tooling and Diagnostics: Build or maintain Python-based automation, logging, calibration, monitoring, benchmarking, and data-analysis tools that improve engineering efficiency and product observability.

Verification & Validation:

• Define and execute unit, integration, MIL, SIL, and HIL test strategies, including requirement-based tests, fault injection, and regression coverage.
• Automate build, test, and reporting workflows within CI/CD pipelines, and use results to drive measurable quality improvements.
• Support bench and vehicle integration, diagnose cross-domain hardware/software issues, reproduce failures from logs, and drive issues to verified closure.

Collaboration and Technical Leadership:

• Coordinate technical decisions with internal teams, suppliers, and platform partners; document assumptions, interfaces, risks, and release readiness.
• Contribute to design reviews, coding and modeling standards, knowledge sharing, and mentorship while continuously improving the team's development practices.

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Robotics, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering embedded software for automotive, robotics, autonomous systems, or other safety-critical real-time products.
• Strong embedded C/C++ skills and practical knowledge of real-time systems, microcontrollers, memory constraints, concurrency, and hardware/software interfaces.
• Hands-on proficiency with MATLAB, Simulink, and Stateflow for model-based design, simulation, and production software development.
• Solid understanding of vehicle control concepts, feedback control, state machines, fault detection, degraded modes, and safety mechanisms.
• Experience with in-vehicle networks and diagnostics, including CAN/CAN-FD and working knowledge of UDS, XCP, or equivalent protocols.
• Working knowledge of AUTOSAR Classic architecture and the interaction among application software, RTE, BSW, and MCAL.
• Experience with requirement-based development and MIL, SIL, HIL, bench, or vehicle-level verification.
• Proficiency with version control, code review, issue tracking, automated testing, CI/CD, and structured debugging workflows.
• Strong analytical, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills, with ownership from ambiguous problem definition through validated delivery.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Infineon AURIX/TC3xx or comparable automotive microcontrollers and associated compilers, debuggers, and RTOS environments.
• Practical exposure to ISO 26262, Automotive SPICE, MISRA C/C++, safety analysis, or safety-oriented development processes.
• Experience with Vector, dSPACE, ETAS, or similar tools for network analysis, measurement, calibration, rapid prototyping, and HIL testing.
• Hands-on experience with CANoe/CANalyzer, DaVinci Configurator/Developer, Embedded Coder, TargetLink, or comparable toolchains.
• Python experience for test automation, log processing, data analysis, reporting, or developer tooling.
• Experience with ECU bring-up, board-level debugging, vehicle testing, drive-by-wire systems, or autonomous/electric vehicle platforms.

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