Senior Software Engineer — Software Platform & Middleware

Build the Software Platform Powering Next-Generation Mobility

Apex.AI is developing the software foundation for autonomous systems, intelligent machines, and software-defined vehicles. We are looking for an experienced Software Engineer to help advance our core software platform technologies, including Apex.Grace and Apex.Ida.

In this role, you will work on high-performance middleware, runtime systems, developer tooling, and software platform infrastructure used in safety-critical and real-time environments. You will collaborate closely with world-class engineers to design and implement robust software components that enable scalable, reliable, and production-ready mobility systems.

This is an opportunity to work deeply in modern C++, distributed systems, middleware, operating systems, and developer platforms while contributing directly to products deployed in real-world applications across automotive, robotics, aerospace, and industrial automation.

We are looking for engineers who enjoy solving complex systems problems, writing clean and maintainable code, and building technology that other developers rely on every day.

This role is based in our Munich office.

What You’ll Do

• Design, develop, and maintain core software components for Apex.AI products, particularly Apex.Grace and Apex.Ida
• Build new software platform capabilities, middleware features, developer tooling, and runtime infrastructure
• Improve performance, reliability, scalability, and maintainability across the platform stack
• Investigate, debug, and resolve complex system-level and distributed software issues
• Develop and maintain automated tests, CI workflows, and development tooling
• Collaborate closely with product, platform, and applications teams to deliver production-quality software
• Participate in architecture discussions, code reviews, and technical design decisions
• Contribute to engineering best practices, development workflows, and technical standards
• Help shape product direction through direct collaboration with customers and internal stakeholders

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field — or equivalent practical experience
• Strong software engineering fundamentals and system design skills
• Excellent programming skills in modern C++ and solid experience with Python
• Experience developing software on Linux-based systems
• Hands-on experience with middleware or communication technologies such as DDS, shared memory IPC, SOME/IP, ROS, or similar systems
• Experience working with application frameworks or SDKs for distributed or embedded systems
• Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills across complex software stacks
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Collaborative mindset with a desire to work in a high-performing engineering team
• Curiosity, ownership mentality, and eagerness to learn new technologies

Nice to Have

• Experience with multiple middleware technologies and distributed systems architectures
• Familiarity with networking concepts, TCP/IP, sockets programming, and low-latency communication
• Experience with ROS 2 and modern robotics software ecosystems
• Knowledge of Interface Definition Languages (IDLs), code generation, or domain-specific languages
• Familiarity with automotive software architectures and standards such as AUTOSAR
• Experience with real-time operating systems such as QNX
• Exposure to autonomous systems, robotics, or software-defined vehicle platforms
• Experience developing safety-critical software following ISO 26262 or similar functional safety standards
• Familiarity with cloud-native development tools and infrastructure

Why Apex.AI

• Build foundational platform technology used in real-world autonomous and intelligent systems
• Work with highly experienced engineers on technically challenging problems
• Contribute to cutting-edge middleware, runtime systems, and developer infrastructure
• Engineering-driven culture with meaningful ownership and impact
• Competitive compensation, benefits, and professional growth opportunities
• International team working at the forefront of mobility software innovation

About Apex.AI

Apex.AI is an international software company specializing in the development of safety-certified, developer-friendly, and scalable software for mobility systems, aiming to accelerate the transition to software-defined vehicles and mobility. Founded in 2017 by Jan Becker and Dejan Pangercic, the company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with additional offices in Munich, Stuttgart, Gothenburg, Tokyo, and Pangyo.  To date, Apex.AI has raised over $75 million USD from world-class venture, financial and strategic investors including AGCO, Airbus Ventures, Canaan, Continental AG, Daimler Truck, HELLA Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover’s InMotion Ventures, LG Electronics, Lightspeed, Orillion, Toyota Ventures, Volvo Group Venture Capital and ZF.

The company’s flagship product, Apex.OS, consists of two core components: Apex.Grace and Apex.Ida.

• Apex.Grace is an application runtime framework in the form of a software development kit (SDK). It provides a robust framework for developing real-time, reliable, and safe applications. Core APIs are based on ROS 2 APIs with numerous extensions enabling real-time execution, reliable performance, deployment into large fleets, system state management, safety, security, and much more. It is safety-certified to ISO 26262 ASIL D. 
• Apex.Ida is a communication middleware delivering optimal high-performance data transport across use cases. These use cases range from fully autonomous vehicles with dozens of high-resolution cameras to small signals with ultra-high frequencies in safety-critical domains. Its core is based on a shared memory data transport with connectors into DDS, SOME/IP, MQTT, CAN, and many more protocols, all abstracted into a single application facing API.

Additionally, Apex.AI offers:

• Apex.Alan provides customers with a highly optimized and efficient software integration, development environment, build, test, and delivery process.
• Apex.OS for V&V enables record and playback of very large and diverse data streams, both time- and data-deterministically, which is crucial for replay, analysis, and performance evaluation of complex autonomous systems.​

Apex.AI’s software solutions are utilized across a diverse range of industries, including automotive, agriculture, medical, and defense sectors. The products enable developers to efficiently create and deploy safe, reliable, and high-performance applications, thereby accelerating the adoption of software-defined mobility systems. Through its innovative software solutions and strategic partnerships, Apex.AI is at the forefront of transforming the mobility industry, facilitating the development of next-generation vehicles and systems.

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