Senior Software Systems Engineer

About the Company

At Torc, we have always believed that autonomous vehicle technology will transform how we travel, move freight, and do business.
A leader in autonomous driving since 2007, Torc has spent over a decade commercializing our solutions with experienced partners. Now a part of the Daimler family, we are focused solely on developing software for automated trucks to transform how the world moves freight.
Join us and catapult your career with the company that helped pioneer autonomous technology, and the first AV software company with the vision to partner directly with a truck manufacturer.

Meet the Team:

Join our SW Systems and Safety – Behaviors & Autonomy team, where we help shape the safety and performance of Level 4 autonomous trucking systems. Our team works across systems engineering, software development, AI/ML, functional safety, verification and validation, and product teams to identify and address potential limitations in autonomous vehicle behavior.

We focus on ensuring that Torc's autonomous driving systems meet critical safety objectives, including Safety of the Intended Functionality (SOTIF), functional safety, and emerging AI safety frameworks.

We're seeking a Software Systems Engineer who brings strong systems engineering fundamentals, an understanding of software-intensive autonomous systems, and a passion for solving complex safety challenges. The ideal candidate has experience developing or deriving software requirements, understands how software components interact within larger systems, and can evaluate behavior at both the system and autonomy software levels.

Prior SOTIF or automotive experience is not required. We welcome engineers with strong software and systems backgrounds from across physical autonomy and physical AI, including autonomous vehicles, robotics, unmanned aerial systems, and other autonomous platforms, who are interested in developing expertise in this specialized and evolving field.

In this role, you'll collaborate with experienced SOTIF engineers and cross-functional technical teams to identify functional insufficiencies, analyze system and autonomy software behavior, develop safety-related requirements, and contribute to the safe deployment of autonomous trucks.

What You'll Be Doing:

As a Software Systems Engineer, you'll apply systems engineering principles and software engineering knowledge to evaluate and improve the safety of Torc's autonomous driving systems. You'll work closely with experienced SOTIF engineers, software developers, AI/ML engineers, systems architects, and verification and validation teams to translate safety objectives into actionable engineering requirements.

• Develop, derive, and refine system and autonomy software requirements that support the safety and intended functionality of autonomous driving systems.

• Analyze software-intensive autonomous systems to understand component interactions, system and autonomy software behavior, performance limitations, and potential safety risks.

• Collaborate with SOTIF and functional safety engineers to identify functional insufficiencies, triggering conditions, and opportunities for safety improvements at both the system and autonomy software levels.

• Evaluate the completeness, consistency, and traceability of system and autonomy software requirements against design objectives and safety considerations.

• Work with software development, AI/ML, and systems engineering teams to translate analysis findings into requirements, design improvements, and functional modifications.

• Apply analytical methods, testing results, and simulation findings to develop and refine acceptance criteria, safety metrics, and performance targets at both the system and autonomy software levels.

• Contribute to risk assessments and safety analyses related to autonomous vehicle behavior, including scenarios where system or autonomy software performance limitations may introduce safety risks.

• Support the definition of verification and validation objectives for known and emerging safety scenarios, partnering with V&V teams to evaluate behavior at both the system and autonomy software levels.

• Collaborate with systems architecture and design teams to incorporate safety considerations into system and autonomy software specifications and design decisions.

• Develop an understanding of SOTIF principles, methodologies, and applicable safety standards, applying these concepts to engineering analyses and requirements development.

• Document technical findings, communicate risks at the system and autonomy software levels, and participate in cross-functional discussions to support informed engineering decisions.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of engineering processes, safety analyses, and requirements development practices supporting Torc's Level 4 autonomous trucking platform.

What You’ll Need to Succeed:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or equivalent with 6+ years relevant experience or a Master’s Degree and 3+ years relevant experience.
• Demonstrated technical proficiency in software systems engineering, systems engineering, computer engineering, or a closely related discipline, gained through a combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Strong systems engineering fundamentals, with the ability to analyze complex software-intensive autonomous systems, understand component interactions, and evaluate behavior at both the system and autonomy software levels.
• Experience developing, deriving, decomposing, or refining system and/or autonomy software requirements.
• A technical foundation in software engineering, including hands-on software development experience or substantial experience working with software development teams on requirements and system design.
• Understanding of the software development lifecycle and how requirements, design, implementation, and verification activities relate to one another.
• Ability to analyze technical problems, identify system and autonomy software limitations, assess potential risks, and translate findings into actionable engineering requirements.
• Familiarity with requirements engineering practices, including requirements decomposition, traceability, and validation.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to approach complex engineering challenges from both system and autonomy software perspectives.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical findings and collaborate across engineering disciplines.
• Ability to work independently on assigned technical activities while learning from and collaborating with experienced engineers.
• Comfortable operating in an evolving technical environment, navigating ambiguity, and adapting to new engineering challenges.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and a commitment to developing safe, reliable, and high-quality engineering solutions.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information ethically and professionally.

Bonus Points!

• Experience developing software in C, C++, Python, MATLAB/Simulink, or similar engineering environments.

• Previous experience transitioning from hands-on software development into systems engineering or software requirements engineering.

• Experience engineering software-intensive physical autonomous systems, including autonomous vehicles, ADAS, mobile robotics, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), autonomous aerospace platforms, or off-highway autonomous equipment.

• Familiarity with Safety of the Intended Functionality (SOTIF) and ISO 21448.

• Knowledge of functional safety (ISO 26262), AI safety (ISO/PAS 8800), or autonomous vehicle safety assurance frameworks (UL 4600).

• Experience with hazard analysis, risk assessment, triggering-condition analysis, or functional insufficiency identification.

• Experience using testing, simulation, or verification results to derive or refine requirements, acceptance criteria, safety metrics, and performance targets at the system and autonomy software levels.

• Working knowledge of requirements management and systems engineering tools such as Jama, Cameo, DOORS, or similar platforms.

• Familiarity with model-based systems engineering (MBSE), system and autonomy software architecture, or requirements traceability methodologies.

• Understanding of AI/ML-enabled autonomous systems and the unique challenges associated with evaluating their behavior and performance.

• Experience working in Agile or SAFe development environments.

• Perks of Being a Full-time Torc’r
  Torc cares about our team members and we strive to provide benefits and resources to support their health, work/life balance, and future. Our culture is collaborative, energetic, and team focused. Torc offers:
  
• A competitive compensation package that includes a bonus component and stock options

• 100% paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for full-time employees

• 401K plan with a 6% employer match

• Flexibility in schedule and generous paid vacation (available immediately after start date)

• AD+D and Life Insurance
• At Torc, we’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We celebrate the uniqueness of our Torc’rs and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, veteran status, or disabilities.
  Even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications listed for this opportunity, we encourage you to apply.
• Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several geographic markets. Pay is based on a number of factors and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Torc's total compensation package will also include our corporate bonus and stock option plan. Dependent on the position offered, sign-on payments, relocation, and other forms of compensation may be provided as part of a total compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits.
• Job ID: 102789