Embedded Platform Engineer (Linux Kernel / BSP) Product Design & Engineering · Oslo-Norway ·

Neat; Oslo; Hybrid; NOK 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Direct Hardware Ownership

Long-term Impact

Growth & Culture

Job summary

Neat designs video devices from the ground up, focusing on the Linux kernel, drivers, and BSPs for new boards. The role sits just below Android, with day-to-day work on kernel software and hardware bring-up at a Oslo-based headquarters.

You will collaborate with hardware teams on-site at Fornebu, while remote-friendly candidates in Norway or Europe can join. This hands-on position offers ownership across the platform lifecycle and opportunities to influence next-gen devices.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience writing or porting Linux kernel drivers.
• Bring-up embedded systems on ARM-based SoCs.
• Strong C, plus Python and Bash for automation.
• Diagnostic debugging mindset across software and hardware.

Responsibilities

• Develop, port, and debug Linux kernel drivers (Device Tree, I2C, USB, PCIe).
• Hardware bring-up from first power-on to stable platform.
• Maintain BSPs, rebase vendor trees, drive mainline integration.
• Root-cause boot hangs, panics, and power/regression issues.
• Collaborate with manufacturing through EVT/DVT/PVT stages.
• Build and maintain CI/CD build, test, and flashing automation.

Skills

Linux kernel

Device Tree

ARM bring-up

C programming

Python/Bash

Job description

Neat designs video devices from the ground up — the hardware and the entire software stack that powers it, starting from the boot chain. We are hiring for the layer most people never see: the Linux kernel, custom drivers, and the engineering required to bring a brand-new board from first power-on to mass production.

This role operates directly below Android. While our devices run Android and you will occasionally surface into Hardware Abstraction Layers (HALs), your day-to-day focus is strictly on kernel development, device drivers, and Board Support Packages (BSPs).

Location & Work Setup: Based primarily at our global headquarters at Fornebu outside Oslo, where you'll collaborate closely with hardware on-site. We also welcome remote team members based in Norway or Europe, though proximity to our Oslo R&D hub is preferred given the hands-on nature of board bring-up.

What You’ll Do

• Kernel & Driver Engineering: Develop, port, and debug low-level components and drivers including Device Tree, pinctrl, I2C, display, camera, USB, PCIe, power management, and suspend/resume cycles.

• Hardware Bring-up: Take new board designs from first power-on to a stable platform, working directly from schematics alongside hardware engineers.

• BSP Integration & Maintenance: Maintain BSPs from SoC vendors, rebase vendor trees, manage mainline drift, and drive kernel uprevs, GKI, and vendor module boundaries for new OS releases.

• Deep System Debugging: Root-cause complex failures — boot hangs, kernel panics, race conditions, memory corruption, and thermal/power regressions — including intermittent issues in production environment setups.

• Manufacturing & NPI Collaboration: Partner with manufacturing vendors through EVT/DVT/PVT stages, review factory board modifications, distinguish software bugs from hardware flaws, and support factory test/provisioning software.

• Automation: Build and maintain reliable build, test, and flashing automation within CI/CD pipelines.

What We’re Looking For

• Core Linux Expertise: Hands-on experience writing or porting Linux kernel drivers, with a deep understanding of Device Trees, Kconfig, and kernel build systems.

• Silicon Bring-up: Demonstrated track record bringing up embedded systems, ideally on modern ARM-based SoCs.

• Language Proficiency: Strong C programming skills, paired with Python and Bash for build and test automation.

• Diagnostic Approach: An evidence-driven debugging mindset, comfortable operating at the intersection where software meets raw hardware execution.

• Product Ownership: A desire to own a hardware platform across its entire lifecycle rather than shipping isolated patches.

Nice to Have (Not Required)

• Experience working with vendor BSPs or upstream kernel contributions.

• Direct involvement in the hardware manufacturing cycle (EVT/DVT/PVT), factory test tools, or working across international supply chain time zones.

• Familiarity with AOSP, HALs, or the Android platform boundary (a dedicated team handles upper AOSP layers, but cross-layer visibility is welcome).

What We Offer

• Direct Hardware Ownership: Work on hardware and software designed together under one roof, with direct access to the hardware teams down the hall.

• Long-term Impact: See your code move from early bench prototypes straight to mass production lines and active customer spaces.

• Growth & Culture: Flexible hybrid/remote options within Norway and Europe, with a collaborative, quality-focused culture centered around our workspace at Fornebu, Oslo.