Software Quality Assurance & Compliance Engineer - DO-178C
Company websiteaptiv.com (Aptiv, opens in new tab)
Base salary $140K to $170K
Employer-published annual base salary, USD. Advertised base range in Wr, CA +1 more
You apply on the employer's own site. Six Figure Work does not handle applications.
- LocationWr, CA +1 more
- WorkplaceWorkplace not stated
- Status at last checkSource accepting applications when checked
- Last checked (1 h ago) · observed since
All places named
- Wr, CA
- USA Walnut Creek
About this job
ABOUT WIND RIVER
Wind River is a global leader in delivering software for mission-critical intelligent systems. For more than four decades, the company has been an innovator and pioneer, powering billions of systems that require the highest levels of security, safety, and reliability.
Wind River helps customers across automotive, aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, and telecommunications industries solve complex technology challenges on their journey toward the new intelligent machine economy. Our software powers generation after generation of the safest, most secure systems in the world—from NASA’s Artemis I and the James Webb Space Telescope to the world’s largest Open RAN networks.
We’ve earned global recognition for our technology innovation and workplace culture, including Great Place to Work certification and being named a “Top Workplace” for ten consecutive years. If you want to be part of a unique culture built on growth mindset, customer focus, and diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging, come join us and help advance the future software-defined world.
YOUR ROLE
Wind River Systems is seeking a high‑performing Senior Member of the Technical Staff to join the Engineering Quality Solutions (EQS) group and help grow our Software Quality Assurance (SQA) team.
The successful candidate will join a high‑impact Engineering Quality Solutions team responsible for the governance of software quality, safety, and security across Wind River’s product portfolio. You will collaborate closely across the Product Engineering organization and Certification office to drive effective and compliant software quality assurance programs.
As a Senior Member of Technical Staff – Engineering Quality Solutions, you will work with a skilled SQA team to plan, execute, and drive project‑level SQA activities and standards processes, following well‑defined Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) practices. You will partner cross‑functionally with Architects, Technologists, Product Managers, Certification Team, distributed development teams, and customer‑facing organizations.
This role supports Wind River’s flagship products, including VxWorks and Helix Virtualization Platform, and may involve assignments across Automotive, Aviation/Drone, Humanoid Robotics, and Industrial programs, depending on business needs.
The role is focused on delivering high‑quality, secure, and safety‑critical software that meets stringent regulatory and customer requirements, enabling successful certification and deployment for mission‑critical customer applications.
In your daily job you will:
- Plan, execute, and manage Software Quality Assurance (SQA) activities across assigned projects in alignment with defined SDLC processes.
- Perform audits, reviews, and inspections of software lifecycle artifacts to ensure compliance with applicable standards (e.g., DO‑178C, ASPICE, ISO 26262, IEC 61508. ISO 9001QMS).
- Ensure timely creation, review, approval, and baselining of SQA deliverables required for certification and customer releases.
- Collaborate closely with Product Engineering, Architects, Certification Office, and Product Management to embed quality, safety, and security practices early in the development lifecycle.
- Provide governance and oversight of software quality processes across multiple product lines, including VxWorks and Helix Virtualization Platform.
- Support safety‑critical and security‑critical programs across Aviation/Drone, Automotive, Humanoid Robotics, and Industrial domains, based on assignment.
- Identify quality risks, gaps, and non‑compliances, and drive corrective and preventive actions to closure.
- Support certification and assessment activities, including internal and external audits, customer reviews, and regulatory engagements.
- Maintain and improve SQA processes, checklists, templates, and work instructions to align with evolving standards and business needs.
- Participate in cross‑site and distributed team engagements, ensuring consistent application of quality standards across global teams.
- Provide guidance, mentoring, and support to engineering teams on software quality, safety, and compliance best practices.
- Track and report SQA metrics, issues, and status to stakeholders and leadership as required.
- Continuously improve quality practices by incorporating lessons learned and industry best practices.
HOW YOU WILL CONTRIBUTE
Key skills and competencies for succeeding in this role are:
- Strong hands‑on experience in Software Quality Assurance for safety‑ and security‑critical systems.
- In‑depth knowledge of DO‑178C and solid working expertise in ASPICE, ISO 26262, ISO 9001 QMS and IEC 61508.
- Proven ability to perform audits, reviews, and inspections of software lifecycle artifacts.
- Strong understanding of SDLC processes, configuration management, change control, and traceability.
- Experience supporting certification, assessments, and external audits with customers or regulatory bodies.
- Ability to work effectively across cross‑functional and distributed teams.
- Excellent analytical, documentation, and communication skills.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and programs simultaneously.
- Domain experience in aviation, drone systems, automotive, humanoid robotics, or industrial platforms is highly desirable.
- Self‑driven, detail‑oriented, and capable of influencing without direct authority.
- Knowledge and experience with software development tools such as Git, GitLab, Jen, JIRA, Polarion. Doors
- Software engineering experience with the full development lifecycle and processes, Agile and scrum project management tools (e.g. Jira, GitLab);
- Scrum certifications are a plus
- CSQE certification is a plus
- Familiarity with Real Time Operating Systems (RTOS) and RTOS development tools
Compensation
This role is compensation range is between $140,000 to $170,000 plus annual incentive plan bonus. Compensation is determined through interviews and a review of the education, experience, knowledge, skills, location, and abilities of the applicant, and equity with other team members. Employees in this role are also eligible for the following benefits in accordance with the terms of the Company's plans: health, dental, vision insurance, life insurance, flex time off, eligibility to enroll in 401k, and 12 paid holidays.
SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS
Successful candidates must engage in a security clearance process in regard to their citizenship in order to perform fundamental job duties, as per applicable law. In particular, candidates with certain citizenship may not be able to perform such fundamental job duties. Currently, this includes citizens of the following countries: Belarus; Burma; China; Cuba; Iran; North Korea; Syria; Venezuela; Afghanistan; Cambodia; Central African Republic; Cyprus; Democratic Republic of Congo; Ethiopia; Eritrea; Haiti; Iraq; Lebanon; Libya; Russia; Somalia; South Sudan; Sudan; Zimbabwe. The security clearance process may take a significant amount of time to complete, and any offer of employment will be contingent on the candidate's legal ability to perform the fundamental job duties. Wind River is committed to meeting its obligations to candidates under applicable human rights law and privacy law in this regard.
APPLICANT PRIVACY NOTICE:
Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us. At Wind River, we strictly adhere to all applicable data privacy laws. Please review Wind River's Applicant Privacy Notice, which can be found here.
#LI-FY1
Privacy Notice - Active Candidates: https://www.aptiv.com/privacy-notice-active-candidates
Aptiv is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
Source: Aptiv on Workday · View original posting (opens in new tab)
Pay in context
This role's base floor ($140,000) is above 24% of the 10,411 Software Engineering roles nationwide listed on this site; 241 others list the same floor. Their median floor is $160,000; the middle half runs from $140,000 to $191,000.
Only jobs on this site count, and each one publishes a base salary of $100,000 or more, so this compares six-figure jobs with each other, not with the whole market. Computed Nov 7, 2026.
This listingSoftware Quality Assurance & Compliance Engineer - DO-178C$140K to $170K
Senior System Engineer - Core Kernel$130K to $160K
Sr Financial Analyst$110K to $140K
Market Development Specialist– AI and Incubation TeamFrom $170K
Data Platform Architect$176K to $210K
Associate Strategy$100K to $125K
Associate, Strategy$100K to $125K
Chart as a table
| Role | Published base |
|---|---|
| Software Quality Assurance & Compliance Engineer - DO-178C (this listing) | $140K - $170K |
| Senior System Engineer - Core Kernel | $130K - $160K |
| Sr Financial Analyst | $110K - $140K |
| Market Development Specialist– AI and Incubation Team | From $170K |
| Data Platform Architect | $176K - $210K |
| Associate Strategy | $100K - $125K |
| Associate, Strategy | $100K - $125K |
Observed changes
- First observed on the employer's board
- Began meeting the published-salary criteria
- Observed since
- Employer-stated posting date
- 2026-10-08
Where this pay comes from
Location as the employer wrote it: USA Walnut Creek, CA - WR
This role is compensation range is between $140,000 to $170,000 plus annual incentive plan bonus. Compensation is determine
- Method
- Employer text, read with fixed rules and re-verified
- Checked
- Rule set
- us-base-v2
The pay passage appears in the employer's own job text. Fixed, deterministic rules located it, and the passage below was checked against the stored copy of the posting.
What we verified
- The pay figures come from the employer's own listing, quoted exactly above.
- The pay is an annual base salary in US dollars with a minimum of at least $100,000.
- The role was publicly listed on the employer's job board when last checked.
We do not verify what the employer will actually offer, whether the employer is still recruiting for the role, or anything beyond what the employer published. Full methodology.
