Senior Software Engineer, Cloud Connectivity

About Us Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world. The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone. Role Summary We are seeking a highly skilled Backend Cloud Engineer proficient in Java and Kotlin to join the Connectivity team. The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of cloud-native architecture and the ability to write resilient, concurrent code. In this role, you will work on cutting-edge systems—managing a diverse ecosystem of both container-orchestrated workloads on Kubernetes and event-driven serverless functions—to build robust microservices that handle complex, high-throughput data streams at scale. This position is based in our Berlin office and operates on a hybrid model, requiring at least three days per week on-site. Responsibilities • Build, optimize, and maintain highly reliable, scalable, and distributed microservices from prototype to production. • Leverage automation to reduce roadblocks, streamline deployment pipelines, and achieve consistent deliverables. • Design, implement, and maintain robust, secure, and performant APIs using REST and gRPC, optimizing for both internal microservice communication and external consumption. • Work with data serialization technologies such as Protocol Buffers (Protobuf). • Ensure backend technical feasibility, optimize applications for maximum performance, and handle high-throughput asynchronous processing. • Implement and champion engineering best practices, including comprehensive code reviews and rigorous testing. Qualifications • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. • 3+ years of professional experience in backend development, with a strong portfolio showcasing your work on complex, scalable cloud services. • Experience deploying backend services across both serverless (AWS Lambda) and Kubernetes environments, including containerizing apps (Docker), familiarity with GitOps tools like ArgoCD and Helm is a strong plus. • Strong proficiency in Java and Kotlin (experience with TypeScript for backend/serverless environments is a plus). • Hands-on experience developing within the AWS Cloud platform (e.g., EC2, Lambda, MSK, ElastiCache, DynamoDB, Secrets Manager, Parameter Store) and a strong understanding of how backend applications interact with these managed services. • Deep understanding of asynchronous programming, message queues (e.g., Kafka, SQS, NATS), and event-driven architecture. • Experience with NoSQL (DynamoDB) and caching (ElastiCache); ability to evaluate trade-offs between relational (SQL) and non-relational solutions. • Strong knowledge of Git for version control and collaboration. • Experience in systematic troubleshooting and monitoring ( tools such as Datadog and Amazon CloudWatch) in production environment. Total Rewards We build the exceptional — and we believe the people doing that work should be rewarded accordingly. In addition to a competitive base salary, full-time positions may be is eligible to participate in our annual company performance bonus program. Payments are discretionary and not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on company results and the terms of the plan in effect, and require active employment at the time of payout. This role is also eligible fo