Objective of job

We are looking for an experienced Zone Controller (ZCU) System Architect to own the system-level design, technical definition, and mass-production delivery of our next-generation zone controller platform. You will be responsible for the full system architecture of distributed zone units under the Central Computing + Zone EEA framework.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the full system architecture definition of vehicle zone controllers, including functional partitioning, I/O resource allocation, hardware capability planning, and system specification formulation;
• Define unified ZCU platform specifications to support scalable and flexible deployment across different vehicle grades and configurations;
• Responsible for zone domain boundary division, local closed-loop function definition, and service interaction logic between ZCU and central computing unit (CCU);
• Design ZCU Ethernet/TSN networking strategy, VLAN partition, SOME/IP & DDS communication rules, and network load scheduling;
• Define signal/service interaction mechanism between zone controllers, central domain, and traditional ECU systems;
• Optimize communication latency, network jitter, and bandwidth utilization to ensure real-time and reliable system operation;
• Design zone-level power distribution logic, partial power-off strategy, and full vehicle wake-up/sleep management;
• Responsible for ZCU fault detection, fault degradation strategy, and local fault self-recovery mechanism;
• Define ZCU layered OTA upgrade strategy, including firmware upgrade, service update, silent upgrade and rollback mechanism;
• Design zone-side data collection, pre-processing, and data reporting policies to support vehicle big data and closed-loop iteration;
• Close technical alignment with ADAS, cockpit, chassis, and platform teams to unify interface and system specifications;
• Independently analyze and solve system-level problems such as network abnormality, logic conflict, power sequence failure, and service call exception;
• Continuously optimize ZCU platform generality, scalability and cost performance.

Qualification

Education

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in electrical engineering, Computer Engineering, Telecommunications, or related field.

Experience

• 5+ years of system architecture experience in central + zone EEA architecture; candidates with complete ZCU mass production project experience are preferred;
• Familiar with new energy vehicle electronic architecture and L2-L4 intelligent driving system features;
• Proven experience in designing zone controller
• Technical Skills
• In-depth understanding of zone controller system working principles, hardware architecture, embedded software logic, and SOA service mechanism;
• Proficient in automotive Ethernet, TSN, DDS/SOME/IP, network management, and vehicle communication scheduling;
• Familiar with AutoSAR (CP/AP), vehicle power management, sleep/wake-up mechanism, and OTA upgrade architecture;
• Able to independently complete system requirement analysis, architecture design, technical document output, and supplier technical management;
• Possess clear domain decoupling, layered design, and platform-based reusable thinking;
• Able to balance technical advancement, system stability, cost and mass production feasibility;
• Strong hands-on capability, able to locate and resolve complex vehicle system and network problems.

Soft Skills

• Excellent cross-team communication, technical negotiation and project delivery capability;
• Rigorous logic, strong execution, result-oriented, capable of pushing technical closure efficiently.
• Problem-solving mindset with attention to detail
• Fluent in English (German is a plus)

Nice to Have

• Experience with zonal architecture and centralized compute platforms
• Hands-on experience with MB.OS-like platforms or similar SDV architecture
• Knowledge of cloud connectivity and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication
• Experience in Agile/SAFe development environments