Linux Application Engineer

Rocket Lab; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the mobility AI space is seeking a Linux Application Engineer to develop and optimize core applications for autonomous vehicles. This role involves working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure robust mobility intelligence, requiring expertise in embedded Linux systems and a passion for innovation.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience developing applications for embedded Linux systems.
• Familiarity with inter-process communication, systemd, and POSIX APIs.
• Strong understanding of system resource management, memory handling, and threading.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain Linux-based in-vehicle applications.
• Collaborate with hardware and firmware teams for integration across applications.
• Debug complex system-level issues across middleware, kernel, and user-space.

Skills

C/C++

Python

Problem-solving

Debugging

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

Yocto

CMake

Make

Job description

Job Title: Linux Application Engineer
Location: Sunnyvale, CA

About Us

42dot is a mobility AI company committed to solving mobility challenges with software and AI. As the Global Software Center of Hyundai Motor Group, 42dot pioneers the future of mobility by advancing the development of software-defined vehicles.

We develop safety-first, user-centric software-defined vehicle technologies that deliver the latest performance through continuous updates like smartphones. By advancing software and AI technology, 42dot envisions a world where everything is connected and moves autonomously through a self-managing urban transportation operating system.

About the Role

We’re seeking a Linux Application Software Engineer to play a critical role in building the backbone of next-generation autonomous driving systems. In this role, you will develop and optimize core applications running on in-vehicle embedded Linux platforms—ensuring they’re fast, secure, and rock-solid reliable.

You'll work closely with cross-functional teams across system software, perception, planning, and cloud infrastructure to bring scalable and robust mobility intelligence to life.

If you're passionate about embedded systems, love working close to the hardware, and want to help power the future of autonomous vehicles, we’d love to hear from you.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain Linux-based in-vehicle applications for autonomous driving systems.

• Collaborate with hardware and firmware teams to integrate system-level components across real-time and user-space applications.

• Develop services and APIs that interface with perception, localization, and planning modules.

• Optimize performance, reliability, and boot times of embedded Linux platforms.

• Debug complex system-level issues across middleware, kernel, and user-space applications.

• Contribute to system architecture and software design reviews, ensuring security, modularity, and scalability.

• Work closely with QA to define test strategies and ensure high code quality.
  

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.

• 3+ years of experience developing applications for embedded Linux systems.

• Strong C/C++ and/or Python programming skills.

• Experience with inter-process communication (IPC), systemd, and POSIX APIs.

• Familiarity with Linux build systems (e.g., Yocto, CMake, Make).

• Solid understanding of system resource management, memory handling, and threading.

• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to debug low-level software.

• Passion for autonomous vehicles, robotics, or mobility innovation.
  

Preferred Requirements

• Experience with automotive platforms, AUTOSAR, or ROS.

• Knowledge of vehicle network protocols (CAN, LIN, Ethernet).

• Contributions to open-source Linux or embedded projects.