Vehicle Software Engineer – Real-Time Vehicle Control Systems (Utrecht, NL)

Join Trinamics and develop core real-time vehicle control software for autonomous fleets.

The role

For one of our high-tech clients in Utrecht, we are looking for a Vehicle Software Engineer to contribute to the Vehicle Control Layer of their autonomous driving platform. You will work on real-time logic and software architecture that drives decisions on board rugged, vehicle-grade computers. This includes real-time control, sensor fusion, actuator commands, and safety logic — the essential layer between raw sensor data and high-level fleet behavior.

You'll work in a multidisciplinary environment, shaping software that handles mission-critical functions in dynamic, real-world conditions. This is not low-level firmware or UI development — it's the real-time "brain" of the vehicle's control layer.

This is a deta-vast position via Trinamics, with the intent to transfer to a direct contract after a successful period.

What you’ll be doing

• Design and implement real-time software in C++ for vehicle control, sensor fusion, and actuator management
• Develop safety-critical logic and support fault-tolerant behavior on vehicle-grade systems
• Build Python-based tools for simulation, testing, and validation of the control layer
• Work on rugged industrial and embedded Linux-based platforms (vehicle computers)
• Contribute to architectural decisions and scalable software integration
• Collaborate with system engineering, safety, and project teams
• Support subsystem testing, integration testing, and on-vehicle commissioning
• Document your work clearly and support continuous improvement of internal tools and processes

What you bring

We’re looking for an engineer who enjoys solving real-time control challenges in safety-critical environments and understands the architecture required to make autonomous systems behave reliably.

Must-haves

• BSc, MSc, or PhD in Software Engineering, Embedded Systems, Control Engineering, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience developing real-time or safety-critical systems
• Strong knowledge of C++ for embedded/system-level applications
• Proficiency with Python (mainly for testing, scripting, and tool development)
• Hands-on experience with Linux-based systems, especially on rugged or embedded platforms
• Familiarity with Git, CMake, and CI/CD processes
• Fluent in English (written and spoken)

Bonus points for

• Experience in sensor fusion, real-time decision making, and actuator control
• Knowledge of vehicle communication protocols (e.g. CAN, Ethernet)
• Exposure to ROS, ADAS, or autonomous driving software stacks
• Understanding of ISO 26262, ISO 21448, or other functional safety standards
• Experience with safety logic or fault handling mechanisms in software
• Background with vehicle-grade PC integration or industrial computers

What makes this role unique

You’ll develop the intelligence layer that enables autonomous vehicles to make split-second decisions safely and efficiently. Your code will run directly on vehicle-grade hardware in the field — driving real vehicles in live environments. As the fleet scales, your architecture will too.