Senior Compliance Engineer
Sonatus
Salary undisclosed
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Description
At Sonatus, we’re driving the transformation to AI-enabled software-defined vehicles. Traditional automotive software methods can’t keep pace with consumer expectations shaped by the mobile industry—where features evolve rapidly, update seamlessly, and improve continuously. That’s why leading OEMs trust Sonatus to accelerate this shift. Our technology is already in production across more than 9 million vehicles on the road today and rapidly expanding.
Headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, with 250+ employees worldwide, Sonatus combines the agility of a fast-growing company with the scale and impact of an established partner. Backed by strong funding and proven by global deployment, we’re solving some of the most interesting and complex challenges in the industry. Join us and help redefine what’s possible as we shape the future of mobility.
About the Role
At Sonatus, we are building the "Fastest yet Safest" software for the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) era. As we accelerate innovation, maintaining the highest standards of safety and security is paramount.
We are looking for a Senior Compliance Engineer to oversee our engineering compliance and quality strategy. You will play a pivotal role in balancing agile execution with automotive rigor.
In this position, you will join the Compliance Squad, serving as a key contributor of A-SPICE, Cybersecurity (ISO 21434), and Process Quality. You will collaborate with the team to help maintain quality gates for product releases.
Duties and Responsibilities
1. Release Gatekeeping & Quality Approval
- Assist in maintaining quality gates for software releases. You participate in the strategy to approve product deployment based on objective quality criteria and compliance readiness.
- Review validation results from the release pipeline and external partners to ensure "Production-Ready" standards are met before final delivery.
2. Process Optimization & Cybersecurity Support
- Implement and follow a "Lightweight yet Compliant" engineering process based on A-SPICE, integrated seamlessly into Jira/Confluence/Jama workflows.
- Cybersecurity: Support the execution of ISO 21434 compliance tasks. Conduct Threat Analysis and Risk Assessment (TARA), OSS CVE and ensure security controls are properly implemented.
3. Code Quality & Static Analysis Governance
- Customer Reporting: Own the delivery of official static analysis reports to OEM customers, covering MISRA C++, RTE, CERT C++, and HIS Metrics.
- Issue Management: Prioritize code quality violations and collaborate with Engineering Squads to track "Must-Fix" issues to closure.
- Technical Defense: Lead the technical justification process for rule deviations and handle customer inquiries regarding code quality.
4. Audit Defense
- Provide technical support for external audits and compliance assessments.
Qualifications and Experience
[Essential Background]
- Education: B.S. or higher in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
- Experience: 3–7 years of experience in Automotive Software Quality or Systems Engineering.
[Core Competencies]
- Deep Knowledge: Expert-level understanding of Automotive SPICE (ASPICE) AND/OR ISO 21434 (Cybersecurity).
- Static Analysis Mastery: Proficiency in managing code quality standards (MISRA C/C++, RTE, CERT C++) using tools like Coverity, Polyspace, or QAC.
- Process Expertise: Hands-on experience with Automotive SPICE (ASPICE) assessment and process definition.
- Audit Experience: Hands-on experience supporting or defending external audits, including preparing evidence and technical documentation.
- Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively within cross-functional engineering teams to drive quality and compliance outcomes.
Preferred Knowledge and Experience
[Certifications & Tools]
- Certifications: Certified Functional Safety Expert/Professional (CFSE/CFSP), Cybersecurity certification (CACSP), or ASPICE Assessor qualification.
- Toolchain: Proficiency in Jira/Confluence for process management and Requirements Management tools (Jama, CodeBeamer).
[Soft Skills & Bonus]
- Engineering Background: Experience as a software developer or architect is a strong plus. Specifically:
- Build & Dependencies: Familiarity with build systems like Yocto (Bitbake) or CMake to configure static analysis captures and accurately trace OSS dependencies.
- Kernel & OS Hardening: Experience with Linux Kernel configuration (Kconfig) and security hardening (e.g., SELinux, Secure Boot) to validate OS-level compliance strategies.
- System Architecture: Understanding of HW/SW interfaces (MMU, Hypervisors) to assess Freedom From Interference (FFI) mechanisms for Functional Safety concepts.
- Global Communication: Fluency in English (Written & Verbal) to communicate with HQ and global OEM customers.
- Adaptability: Ability to build and optimize processes in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.
Benefits & Perks
Benefits Offered:
- Competitive compensation and equity program
- Support 4 social insurance plans
- Family leave (Maternity, Paternity)
- Hybrid office work-arrangement/flexibility
Perk Offerings:
- Complimentary lunch/dinner, snacks and beverages during on-site working days
- Wellness benefit allowances (towards gym membership and fitness programs)
- Phone & Internet reimbursement
- Computer Accessory Allowance
- Annual Appreciation Gift
- Annual Health Checkup
- Support English class
Employee Engagement Offerings:
- Departmental team building and outings
- Employee Referral Program
- Culture/Employee Satisfaction Surveys - Feedback matters!
- Innovative Award Program (annual)
Benefits
- stock options
- parental leave
About this role
Sonatus is seeking a Senior Compliance Engineer to anchor quality and safety standards as the company scales its software-defined vehicle platform across millions of vehicles globally. You'll own release gatekeeping decisions, ensuring products meet production-ready compliance criteria before deployment to OEM customers. This role demands deep expertise in automotive standards—particularly A-SPICE and ISO 21434 cybersecurity—combined with hands-on mastery of static analysis tools like Coverity and Polyspace to govern code quality across MISRA C++, RTE, and CERT C++ standards.
The position sits at the intersection of engineering rigor and agile execution. You'll implement lightweight yet compliant processes integrated into Jira and Confluence workflows, lead threat analysis and risk assessments, manage OSS dependency tracking, and defend technical decisions during external audits. Cross-functional collaboration is central: you'll work closely with engineering squads to prioritize code violations, justify rule deviations to customers, and prepare evidence for compliance assessments. This is a full-time, in-office role based in Seoul.
The ideal candidate brings 3–7 years in automotive software quality or systems engineering, with expert-level knowledge of A-SPICE or ISO 21434. Prior experience as a software developer or architect, familiarity with build systems like Yocto or CMake, and understanding of Linux kernel hardening are strong advantages. Certifications such as CFSE/CFSP or ASPICE Assessor qualification are preferred. Fluency in English is essential for communication with Sonatus's Sunnyvale headquarters and global OEM partners.
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