Field Application Engineer

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.

The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone.

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

We build the exceptional — and we believe the people doing that work should be rewarded accordingly. In addition to a competitive base salary, full-time positions may be is eligible to participate in our annual company performance bonus program.

Payments are discretionary and not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on company results and the terms of the plan in effect, and require active employment at the time of payout. This role is also eligible for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval and the terms of our equity incentive plans, including applicable vesting requirements.

In addition to our compensation programs, we invest in our people with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, wellbeing, and financial future for full-time employees — including health coverage, retirement savings, time off, and family planning programs. Offerings vary by country. Learn more about our global benefit programs .

External candidates can apply for this role through the Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies careers site ( https://rivianvw.tech/#careers ). If you are a current employee, please apply through our internal job board .

Equal Opportunity

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are also committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable fair employment practice laws regarding citizenship and immigration status.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at ----- style="min-height:1.5em">

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Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies” may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) record keeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our People Team, Finance, Legal, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies affiliates; and (iii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies’ service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.

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Please see our Candidate Data Privacy Notice (English) and Candidate Data Privacy Notice (Serbian) for more information.