> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/3470715-software-tools-manager-autonomy-systems-validation](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/3470715-software-tools-manager-autonomy-systems-validation). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Software Tools Manager, Autonomy Systems Validation - **Company:** Rivian - **Location:** Palo Alto, CA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Amazon Web Services, Business Analytics Applications, Automation of Tests, Computer Engineering, Continuous Integration, Github, Python (Programming Language), Software Tools, Software Engineering, Systems Integration, Test Data, Data Logging, Application Enhancement Tool, Large Language Models, Pytest, Gitlab-ci, Information Technology, Data Pipelines, Docker, Jenkins - **Published:** September 13, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=31d4ed8c010bab21 ## About the Role * 5+ years in software engineering with a record of managing people and delivering cross-functional projects with a B.S. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics or related technical field. * Strong hands-on Python experience building data tooling, pipelines, or analytics platforms for engineering or test organizations and demonstrated CI/CD and automated test framework experience (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Jenkins, Docker, Pytest) in modern cloud services (AWS preferred). * Practical experience with vehicle or robotics data: CAN (DBC, UDS / ISO 14229), automotive Ethernet, camera/radar/lidar logs, time synchronization, and formats such as MCAP, ROS, or MDF/MF4. * Practical experience with LLMs and applied AI, including involvement with agent or automation systems and holding them to measurable accuracy metrics. * Collaborative leader and clear communicator: Explain complex ideas simply, surface risks early, secure buy-in from stakeholders, develop meaningful dashboards and build a positive team culture. ## Description This is a deliberately small, nimble team operating alongside much larger autonomy tooling and infrastructure organizations, and that shapes how we work. Our default is to leverage, customize and build on top of existing autonomy infrastructure and tooling whenever possible, instead of building parallel infrastructure of our own. You will bring the technical judgment behind those calls and will help drive the roadmap negotiations with peer organizations. You will also help bring AI-powered tools and agents into how this team and its customers work - across test infrastructure, data pipelines, triage, and process automation, enabling a six-person team to deliver the impact of a much larger one. * Lead the team: Lead, coach and grow a team of six engineers, define the roadmap and prioritize the team's workflow against limited capacity, stay hands on and drive cross-functional technical alignment and process improvements. * Own the charter: Data acquisition, post-processing, analytics, data tools test automation, fleet software integration, and in-house data loggers where production logging falls short. * Partner before building: Serve as the primary interface to the larger Autonomy software, platform, and infrastructure organizations. Extend what they already own, and build only the thin, high-leverage layer closest to the validation engineer whenever possible versus building from scratch. * Develop dashboards: Automated reporting for active safety and automated driving feature test results, regulatory scoring, vehicle operator safety and behavior metrics and increase throughput on release metrics and validation KPIs. * Lead CI/CD and quality: Run the pipelines and automated test framework for the team's repositories, report release health and stability, hold the quality gates and metric traceability that make results defensible and demonstrate the team is accelerating validation. * Apply AI to the workflow: Identify and deploy AI tools and agents for test data and log triage, prioritize critical validation scenarios, report drafting, and implement new targeted evaluation methodologies, with judgment about where agentic automation fits and when other methods are better suited. ## Related Videos - [Innovating Developer Tools with AI: Insights from GitHub Next](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1268-innovating-developer-tools-with-ai-insights-from-github-next) - [pytest: Simple, rapid and fun testing with Python](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/213-pytest-simple-rapid-and-fun-testing-with-python) - [Docker Compose: Rediscovered](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1978-docker-compose-rediscovered) - [How to develop an autonomous car end-to-end: Robotic Drive and the mobility revolution](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/22-how-to-develop-an-autonomous-car-end-to-end-robotic-drive-and-the-mobility-revolution) - [Bringing AI Model Testing and Prompt Management to Your Codebase with GitHub Models](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1536-bringing-ai-model-testing-and-prompt-management-to-your-codebase-with-github-models) - [Agents for the Sake of Happiness](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1387-agents-for-the-sake-of-happiness) ## Related Articles - [How software is steering vehicle technology](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/515-how-software-is-steering-vehicle-technology) - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [Dev Digest 137 - AI'm not sure about this](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/485-dev-digest-137-ai-m-not-sure-about-this) - [13 AI Tools You Have to Try](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/219-13-ai-tools-you-have-to-try) - [13 AI Tools for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/302-13-ai-tools-for-developers) - [Navigating the AI Shift](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/629-navigating-the-ai-shift)