Edge Operating System Engineer

Stealth Mode; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace defense startup is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to oversee the low-level software stack for their flight computer. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in embedded Linux systems, fluency in shell scripting, and hands-on experience with NVIDIA Jetson platforms. This individual will be responsible for architecting NixOS-based configurations, ensuring system security, and integrating performance-critical applications. Join us to make a direct impact in national defense through innovative technology.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience building or maintaining embedded Linux systems.
• Deep familiarity with Linux internals including systemd, udev, and bootloaders.
• Hands-on experience with GPU and camera stack integration on NVIDIA Jetson platforms.

Responsibilities

• Own image lifecycle for flight computers from hardware bring-up to deployment.
• Build secure, minimal, reproducible NixOS configurations for NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX.
• Integrate low-level software components into a cohesive system.

Skills

Embedded Linux systems

Linux internals

Shell scripting

Python programming

Rust programming

C programming

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field

Tools

NVIDIA Jetson platforms

NixOS

Yocto

Job description

About The Company

We are a stealth‑mode Aerospace & Defense startup headquartered in Gardena, CA. Our founding team hails from SpaceX, Anduril, and Lockheed Martin, and we are backed by Joint Staff‑level military leadership and several Silicon Valley firms. With a world‑class business development & leadership team already in place, we are well positioned to capitalize on already overwhelming demand.

Job Overview

We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer focused on Edge Operating Systems to own the low‑level software stack powering our NVIDIA Orin NX‑based flight computer. In this role, you’ll be responsible for architecting and maintaining our custom NixOS‑based deployment and configuration pipeline, building high‑reliability Linux systems optimized for flight, and integrating performance‑critical applications into a secure, deterministic edge compute environment.

If you thrive at the intersection of embedded systems, Linux internals, and reproducible builds—and want your work to directly shape national defense—this is your role.

Key Responsibilities

• Own image lifecycle for our flight computers, from hardware bring‑up to mission deployment
• Build secure, minimal, reproducible NixOS configurations for NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX
• Optimize performance, boot time, and reliability for mission‑critical deployments
• Integrate low‑level software components (GStreamer, CUDA, GPU drivers, telemetry, real‑time threads) into a cohesive system
• Work closely with flight software and GNC teams to support real‑time, multi‑process workloads
• Develop secure update mechanisms, sandboxing, and observability tools for edge devices in hostile environments
• Lead debugging and performance analysis efforts across user space, kernel space, and hardware interfaces
• Contribute to devops and CI pipelines for embedded Linux builds and simulation environments

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field
• 5+ years of experience building or maintaining embedded Linux systems (Yocto, Buildroot, NixOS, or similar)
• Deep familiarity with Linux internals: systemd, udev, bootloaders (e.g., U‑Boot), networking, filesystems
• Fluency in shell scripting and programming in Python, Rust, or C
• Hands‑on experience with NVIDIA Jetson platforms, including GPU and camera stack integration
• Experience debugging kernel‑space and user‑space issues on embedded targets

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree or research experience in operating systems, embedded systems, or security
• Experience using Nix/NixOS in production for embedded or robotics systems
• Familiarity with secure boot, TPMs, cryptographic key management, and OTA update systems
• Knowledge of CUDA, GStreamer, or other high‑performance Linux subsystems
• Prior work on autonomous systems, aerospace, or other safety‑critical domains
• Contributions to open source operating systems or Nix community projects