Principal Software Engineer

Evolv Technology; Waltham (MA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

$150 Quarterly Perks Stipend

Unlimited PTO

401k Match

Equity

Calm Subscription

Flexible Working

Tuition Reimbursement

Job summary

Evolv Technology is seeking a Senior Embedded Linux Platform Software Engineer to own the platform from ground up, bringing up a custom Yocto-based Linux distribution and building the secure boot and provisioning pipeline for our hardware.

You will work with Electrical Engineering to translate schematics into device drivers and DT configurations, while driving performance, reliability, and reusable C++ software across product lines.

Qualifications

• Experience with secure boot, image signing, or device provisioning on embedded Linux platforms.
• Strong Linux kernel driver development and debugging experience (character/platform drivers, interrupts, DMA).
• Proficiency in C and C++17 for embedded/Linux development.
• Deep hands-on experience building embedded Linux systems with Yocto (bitbake, layers, recipes, image customization) — including board bring-up.
• Solid hardware fundamentals: reading schematics, oscilloscope/logic analyzer use, timing behavior.
• 10+ years of professional embedded/firmware software development experience.
• Working knowledge of Device Tree syntax, bindings, and Yocto-based DT configuration/overlay workflows.
• Direct experience with I2C and SPI Linux driver development on an SoC.
• Comfortable working cross-functionally with EE teams to translate hardware requirements into software.

Responsibilities

• Own the platform from ground up: bring up a custom Yocto-based Linux distribution and secure boot/provisioning pipeline.
• Write and debug Linux kernel drivers and device trees for custom hardware.
• Develop enterprise-grade C++ software with clean APIs and reusable components.
• Maintain OS build process, optimize Yocto recipes, layers, and configurations.
• Diagnose and fix low-level Linux kernel issues (boot failures, driver crashes, DMA/interrupts).
• Collaborate with hardware/EE teams to translate schematics into working drivers and DT configurations.
• Lead cross-functional efforts to improve CI/CD, testing, and hardware integration touchpoints.
• Build and maintain HIL test rigs and automated validation for hardware-layer issues.
• Mentor others, shape technical direction, and drive scalable platform architecture.

Skills

Embedded Linux

C/C++17

Yocto/Bitbake

Kernel driver development

Device Tree

Secure boot/provisioning

Real-time systems

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

JTAG

CI/CD pipelines

DT tooling

Job description

• Are you looking for a role that has meaning and purpose on a team that is crafting the future of security?
• Evolv’s R&D team is looking for an experienced and innovative Platform Software Engineer to provide technical leadership, improve software engineering practices, and be hands on with our team of SW engineers with expertise in embedded, real-time, and computer vision
• In Evolv’s fast-paced development environment, the R&D team is continuously innovating new features and integrating complementary technologies into our products
• We’re looking for a senior embedded Linux developer who can own the platform from the ground up — bringing up a custom Yocto-based Linux distribution, writing and debugging kernel drivers, and building the secure boot and provisioning pipeline that ships with our hardware
• You’ll work directly with Electrical Engineering Hardware Engineers to translate schematics into working device drivers and device tree configurations, and partner closely with our senior IC on peripheral architecture and automated validation
• Linux C++ Development for Embedded Systems with strong focus on BSP and Kernel
• Maintain ownership of the OS layer build process, constructing and optimizing custom Yocto recipes, layers, and configurations
• Write, modify, and optimize Linux kernel device trees to map custom hardware peripherals and ensure clean boot routines
• Debug low-level Linux kernel issues (boot failures, driver crashes, interrupt/DMA issues) using standard embedded Linux tooling (JTAG, serial console, kernel logs, ftrace/perf)
• Own the secure boot and provisioning pipeline end to end — signed images, secure key storage/injection, fused security state — from design through production readiness
• Diagnose hardware-software interface boundaries, including real-time timing constraints, power profiles, and thermal behavior
• Design and implement real-time systems interfacing with Linux on an SoC, meeting deterministic, low-latency requirements
• Enterprise-Level Software Development
• Design reusable, enterprise-grade C++ software - modular component reuse and clean API abstraction, built for longevity across multiple product lines
• Manage component versioning, dependency trees, and decoupling strategies in resource-constrained environments
• Write production-quality C/C++17 for both user-space applications and kernel-adjacent components
• Apply advanced design patterns and object-oriented principles to keep core libraries scalable and maintainable
• Build multithreaded applications using modern C++ concurrency primitives, thread synchronization, and lock-free techniques
• Write clean, well-documented, testable code; maintain quality through peer review and unit/functional testing
• Thoroughly document requirements, design intent, and validation data
• Use AI coding assistants (e.g., Claude) to accelerate development, testing, and documentation across the software lifecycle
• Electronics Integration & Prototyping
• Build and maintain Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test rigs and automated validation strategies to catch regressions at the hardware layer
• Bring up raw prototype boards in the lab, using bench instrumentation (oscilloscope, logic analyzer, multimeter) to root-cause signal-level issues
• Build Python-based scripting frameworks to automate test execution, parse hardware logs, and orchestrate system-level test behavior
• Cross Functional Collaboration
• Partner with EE/hardware teams throughout the product lifecycle — schematic review, component selection, and physical layout constraints
• Work with manufacturing to scale the provisioning process into production
• Support build automation, CI/CD pipelines, and SQA
• Leadership, Team Structure & Culture
• You will be joining the Firmware Engineering team and working closely with our C++ Software Development Team
• This role reports to the Principal Firmware Engineer and works alongside a team of software, systems and hardware talented engineers
• Our culture is built on the belief that exceptional products are created by teams that trust one another, challenge ideas respectfully, and remain committed to continuous growth
• We are guided by our core values: Do the Right Thing, Always, Put People First, Win Together, Own It, and Be Bold, Stay Curious
• These values shape how we make decisions, collaborate across teams, and deliver technology that drives meaningful business impact
• This is a team that enjoys solving hard problems together
• We celebrate wins, learn openly from setbacks, and believe that high performance and having fun are not mutually exclusive
• If you’re energized by mentoring others, shaping technical direction, and building scalable platforms in a collaborative environment, you’ll thrive here
• Success in the Role: Performance Outcomes
• In the first 30 days, you will:
• Demonstrate technical depth and earn the respect of senior developers
• Learn the product’s hardware architecture
• Review existing code and software architecture
• Get hands-on in Yocto, contributing to Evolv’s custom Linux distribution
• Within 90 days you will:
• Ship production-quality pull requests for small-to-medium features, with your first landing by day 30–45
• Assess the current product roadmap, BSP structure, and repository organization, and outline a platform strategy so future product lines share a common, reliable software foundation
• Actively contribute to architecture and design discussions, surfacing risks and improvements
• Evaluate the current CI/CD and build-automation setup and land at least one concrete improvement
• Get fluent in Evolv’s full software development lifecycle, including DevOps, QA, and hardware integration touchpoints
• Within 12 months, you will:
• Own the architecture of reusable, enterprise-grade C++ platforms — modular, cleanly abstracted, and built for reuse across product lines (see “Enterprise-Level Software Development” below for the full scope)
• Lead at least one internal technical workshop or knowledge-sharing session
• Improve cross-functional workflows around testing, deployment, and system reliability
• Help define and enforce coding standards and best practices across the team
• Weigh in on long-term architectural decisions and product roadmap planning
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and psychological safety

Benefits

• $150 Quarterly Perks Stipend: All employees receive a quarterly stipend to help cover the cost of the perks that are most meaningful to them.
• Unlimited PTO: Evolv encourages employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance with our unlimited paid time off policy.
• 401k Match: Secure your future with our generous 401k matching program.
• Equity: At Evolv, every employee is a shareholder and can share in our collective success.
• Calm Subscription: Access Calm’s premium wellness and meditation resources to support your mental health.
• Flexible Working: Enjoy the flexibility to work in a way that suits your lifestyle and commitments.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Pursue further education and professional development with our tuition reimbursement program.

• Experience with secure boot, image signing, or device provisioning on embedded Linux platforms
• Strong Linux kernel driver development and debugging experience (character/platform drivers, interrupt handling, DMA)
• Proficiency in C and C++17 for embedded/Linux development
• Deep hands-on experience building embedded Linux systems with Yocto (bitbake, layers, recipes, image customization) — ideally including a from-scratch board bring-up
• Solid digital hardware fundamentals — comfortable reading schematics, using a scope/logic analyzer, and reasoning about I2C/SPI bus timing and electrical behavior
• 10+ years of professional embedded/firmware software development experience
• Working knowledge of Device Tree syntax, bindings, and Yocto-based DT configuration/overlay workflows
• Direct experience with I2C and SPI Linux driver development on an SoC
• Comfortable working cross-functionally with EE teams to turn hardware requirements into software