Description & Requirements
We’re a global, multi-disciplinary team that’s putting the innovative power of technology to work and transforming tomorrow. At HARMAN Automotive, we give you the keys to fast-track your career.
Engineer audio systems and integrated technology platforms that augment the driving experience
Combine ingenuity, in-depth research, and a spirit of collaboration with design and engineering excellence
Advance in-vehicle infotainment, safety, efficiency, and enjoyment
About the Role
The 4 Wheeler TCU Architect is responsible for defining, governing, and technically driving the end‑to‑end system and software architecture for 4‑Wheeler telematics control units within the Ready Connect product portfolio.
This role focuses on productized, reusable, and scalable architectures across hardware (FFRD), software (BKC), connectivity, cybersecurity, OTA, cloud integration, and vehicle networks, optimized for 4‑Wheeler platforms that demand higher compute capability, functional safety alignment, multi‑network integration, longer lifecycle support, and global regulatory compliance.
The role requires strong expertise in virtualization and hypervisor‑based architectures used in modern automotive ECUs. The architect evaluates how Linux, Android, RTOS, and safety‑ or security‑critical domains can coexist on shared SoCs, enabling domain isolation, feature scalability, and long‑term reuse, while ensuring solutions remain production‑ready, cost‑aware, and OEM‑deployable.
The architect serves as the technical authority for 4‑Wheeler TCU platforms, bridging product roadmap, OEM requirements, RFQs, and delivery execution, while remaining hands‑on and deeply engaged in engineering decisions.
Your Team & Interfaces
You will be part of the Connectivity Architecture & Product Engineering community, collaborating closely with:
- 4‑Wheeler OEM and JOEM engineering teams
- Product Management & Portfolio teams
- Hardware, Industrialization & Manufacturing teams
- Software domain teams:
- Platform / BSP / Embedded Linux & Android
- NAD & Connectivity (5G / LTE / GNSS / eSIM)
- Middleware, Diagnostics, Vehicle Data & ADAS interfaces
- OTA, Cloud & Cybersecurity
- Delivery Managers & Program Leads
- Validation, Certification & Compliance teams
- External partners: NAD suppliers, silicon vendors, hypervisor and platform providers
What You Will Do
1. End‑to‑End 4‑Wheeler TCU Architecture
- Define and own end‑to‑end system architecture for 4‑Wheeler TCUs, covering:
- Embedded Linux / Android / HLOS
- NAD connectivity (5G / LTE / GNSS / eSIM)
- MCU / IOC and safety‑related subsystems
- Vehicle networks (CAN, CAN FD, LIN, Automotive Ethernet, DoIP)
- OTA (SOTA/FOTA), diagnostics, cybersecurity, and data services
- Create and maintain:
- Architecture blueprints and block diagrams
- Interface definitions and sequence flows
- Boot time, performance, power, safety, and security models
- Ensure architecture meets 4‑Wheeler specific constraints:
- Multi‑domain integration and scalability
- Functional safety alignment (ASIL‑aware partitioning)
- Global regulatory and certification requirements
2. Productization, Modularity & Reuse
- Define product‑level architectural baselines aligned with Ready Connect roadmaps
- Drive modular HW/SW decomposition with:
- Clear abstraction layers
- Stable APIs and service contracts
- Domain isolation and reuse
- Enable reuse across:
- Multiple 4‑Wheeler OEMs
- Platform derivatives and regional variants
- Balance platform consistency vs OEM customization without fragmenting core assets
3. Requirements Engineering & Design Ownership
- Lead OEM requirement analysis, clarification, and feasibility assessment
- Author and maintain:
- System Requirements
- Software Requirements
- Interface and vehicle integration requirements
- Ensure end‑to‑end traceability:
Requirements → Architecture → Design → Implementation → Test - Maintain architecture and design documentation compliant with:
- Automotive SPICE
- PLM100
- BMS M‑Gates
4. Hands‑On Technical Leadership
- Act as a hands‑on architect, capable of:
- Debugging complex cross‑domain system issues
- Supporting OEM integration, certification, and field issues
- Driving root‑cause analysis and architectural improvements
- Perform architecture, design, and code reviews
- Serve as the final technical authority for cross‑domain integration decisions
5. Virtualization & Hypervisor‑Based Architecture
- Define and evaluate hypervisor‑based system architectures enabling:
- Co‑existence of Linux, Android, and RTOS domains
- Strong isolation between connectivity, vehicle, safety, and application domains
- Define partitioning strategies for:
- Connectivity and telematics stacks
- Safety‑critical and lifecycle‑managed functions
- OTA and update mechanisms
- Collaborate with HW, BSP, and platform teams to:
- Select appropriate Type‑1 hypervisor approaches
- Define HW/SW co‑architecture assumptions
- Ensure virtualization strategies align with:
- Product roadmap and reuse goals
- Cybersecurity, safety, and ASPICE expectations
- Long‑term scalability across vehicle platforms
6. OEM Engagement & System Integration
- Engage directly with OEM engineering teams to:
- Propose end‑to‑end HW + SW integration approaches
- Support feasibility studies and architecture reviews
- Define performance, boot time, safety, and security targets
- Support vehicle integration, certification readiness, and SOP execution
7. RFQ, Proposal & Cost‑Aware Architecture Support
- Provide architectural leadership for RFIs/RFQs:
- Solution architecture definition
- Feature feasibility and trade‑off analysis
- Cost‑optimized HW/SW solutioning
- Support effort estimation, BOM optimization, and roadmap inputs
8. Cybersecurity, OTA & Quality Enablement
- Ensure architecture compliance with:
- ISO 21434
- UNECE R155 / R156
- Embed cybersecurity‑by‑design principles:
- Secure boot, key management, SBOM
- Secure OTA strategies
- Enable automation‑first architectures supporting CI/CD and test automation
- Support ASPICE assessments with clear architectural rationale and traceability
What You Need to Be Successful
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electronics, Computer Science, or related field
- 12–20 years of experience in automotive embedded systems
- Proven experience architecting 4‑Wheeler TCUs, telematics platforms, or connectivity‑centric ECUs
- Strong hands‑on experience with:
- Embedded Linux / Android & Yocto
- Cellular connectivity and NAD integration
- Vehicle networks, diagnostics, and DoIP
- OTA and cybersecurity
- Working knowledge of automotive virtualization, including:
- Linux / Android / RTOS co‑existence
- Resource partitioning and isolation
- Boot sequencing and inter‑domain communication
- Strong system‑level thinking and customer‑facing communication skills
Bonus Points if You Have
- Experience with Ready Connect or similar productized telematics platforms
- Exposure to ADAS data paths and high‑bandwidth vehicle networks
- Familiarity with SysML / UML
- Hands‑on or architectural exposure to automotive hypervisors (QNX Hypervisor, Xen, Jailhouse, ACRN, or equivalent)
- Experience architecting scalable platforms across multiple OEM programs
What Makes You Eligible
- Willingness to travel 10–15% for OEM workshops, integration, and supplier alignment
What We Offer
Flexible work environment, allowing for full-time remote work globally for positions that can be performed outside a HARMAN or customer location
Access to employee discounts on world-class products (JBL, HARMAN Kardon, AKG, and more)
Extensive training opportunities through our own HARMAN University
Competitive wellness benefits
Tuition reimbursement
“Be Brilliant” employee recognition and rewards program
An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development
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