Your CharterOwn the embedded Linux foundation for NEO from BSP and kernel through distribution, provisioning, and OTA updates, ensuring it boots fast, stays stable, debugs cleanly, and updates confidently as we scale from prototypes to a growing fleet in homes and warehouses. This is critical-path work: every other team's ability to develop, test, and ship depends on a platform that is reproducible, observable, and production-grade. The operating system is a product, and you are its owner.
Key Outcomes- Ship a production-grade custom embedded Linux distribution (Yocto) with reproducible builds, fast deterministic startup, and release artifacts that the full engineering team can depend on across hardware revisions
- Own kernel and driver development end-to-end device tree, board bring-up, peripheral enablement such that new hardware platforms are enabled on schedule with minimal downstream disruption
- Deliver reliable fleet tooling for provisioning, flashing, and OTA updates that scales from dozens of prototypes to high-volume production without manual intervention or data loss
- Build CI/CD for embedded images and kernel builds that catches regressions before they reach hardware, reducing bring-up cycles and unblocking dependent teams faster
Key Competencies- Platform ownership mindset treating the OS as a product with real users, not a build artifact; holds strong opinions about release engineering, reproducibility, and what "production-grade" means for embedded Linux
- Kernel-level fluency debugging confidently at the kernel level, traces software root causes from hardware symptoms, and writes production device drivers for common buses (I2C, SPI, CAN, USB, Ethernet, PCIe)
- Schematic literacy reading hardware schematics to reason about behavior from software symptoms, reducing the round-trip between firmware investigation and hardware root cause
- High-ownership operator defining the standard rather than inheriting it; takes end-to-end responsibility from prototype bring-up through fleet-scale production hardening
Minimum Requirements- 5+ years shipping embedded Linux systems in production, including BSP, kernel customization, and distribution ownership
- Proven experience writing production device drivers and working with Yocto or Buildroot for custom embedded distributions
- Demonstrated ability to debug at the kernel level and trace software root causes, comfortable with kernel tracing tools, serial consoles, and crash capture
Preferred Skills- Experience designing and operating OTA update systems for embedded fleets, including rollback, partial updates, and reliability under real-world network conditions
- Familiarity with real-time Linux extensions (PREEMPT_RT) or low-latency kernel configuration for robotics or industrial applications
- Experience taking a hardware platform from early prototype through high-volume production, including reliability and optimization tradeoffs as hardware evolves
- Background in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or other physical systems where platform stability has direct operational consequences
What does a successful 1X Team Member look likeTeam members at 1X who thrive here are builders. They move fast, own their work completely, and treat time like it's the one thing you can't get back - because it is. They say what they mean, finish what they start, and hold themselves to a standard before anyone has to ask. We push each other to be better, and we do it with honesty and respect. =
Compensation Range$200,000 - $280,000 + Equity
Benefits- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave
- 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options
- Commuter benefits (transit and parking)
- Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support
- Onsite snacks and catered lunches
