RT & Kernel Engineer (human)

NEURA Robotics; Germany (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days vacation

Corporate benefits program

Job summary

NEURA Robotics is seeking an embedded Linux specialist to scale real-time capability across cobots, mobile manipulators, humanoids, and other platforms. You will own the OS, kernel, and board-support layer that the control and communication stacks rely on.

You will collaborate with RT, hardware, simulation, and safety teams to deliver deterministic, maintainable platforms suitable for a controlled product lifecycle. Hands-on Yocto/OpenEmbedded and WCET analysis experience is highly valued.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
• Hands-on experience with real-time Linux and Yocto/OpenEmbedded.
• Strong C/C++ at the kernel/driver level and device tree authoring.
• Experience with ARM multi-cluster platforms (e.g., Cortex-A/R).
• Ability to collaborate across hardware, software, and safety teams.

Responsibilities

• Own real-time Linux platforms, including kernel prep‑patching, tuning, and SCHED_FIFO/RR planning.
• Lead SOM board bring‑up and Yocto BSP activities for multiple robot platforms.
• Manage Yocto layers, recipes, and images across evolving SoCs and boards.
• Conduct WCET analysis and memory management considerations for RT loops.
• Co‑review WCET budgets and timing with the RT engineer at OS/fieldbus boundary.
• Support kernel‑level safety integration (ISO security considerations) and traceability.
• Develop build, flash, and test automation; keep engineering documentation current.

Skills

Embedded Linux

Yocto/OpenEmbedded

Real-time Linux kernel patching

Scheduling concepts (SCHED_FIFO/RR)

WCET analysis

C/C++ kernel/driver boundary

Device tree

Scripting for engineering workflows

ARM multi-cluster platforms

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, or equivalent practical experience

Job description

Your mission & challenges

We are scaling our real-time embedded Linux capability across NEURA's current and next-generation robot platforms — cobots, mobile manipulators, humanoids, quadrupeds, and the shared Compute Unit. This role owns the operating system, kernel, and board-support layer that every control and communication stack on these platforms depends on.

You will collaborate closely with the RT Communication Bus engineer, hardware, simulation, and safety / certification stakeholders to deliver platforms that are deterministic, maintainable, and suitable for a controlled product lifecycle.

• Real-time Linux platforms — both co-kernel and kernel-preemption approaches — including RT scheduling policy and interrupt-latency budgeting to meet the timing requirements of the control and estimation loops running on the platform (kHz-class whole-body control and high-rate state estimation).

• SOM board bring-up and the Yocto BSP for each robot platform hardware revision: boot flow, kernel configuration, device trees, and driver work at the C/C++ boundary, with hands‑on debugging on real hardware.

• Yocto layers, recipes, and images for development, validation, and release; structured evaluations and migrations across multiple SoCs and board variants as hardware evolves.

• WCET analysis across RT loop configurations, and RT memory management practice (memory locking, huge pages, NUMA‑aware allocation, priority inversion avoidance).

• Co‑review of WCET budgets and cycle timing with the RT Communication Bus engineer at the OS / fieldbus boundary, ensuring scheduling, interrupt, and synchronisation assumptions hold under load.

• Safety integration at the kernel level (e.g. E‑stop chain wiring, ISO 10218 safety PLC integration); design participation, documentation, and traceability for controlled change practices.

• Build, flash, and test automation; technical documentation kept current for the wider engineering organisation.

What we can look forward to

• Embedded Linux BSP engineering background with hands‑on Yocto / OpenEmbedded experience on production hardware.

• Hands‑on real‑time Linux kernel patching and tuning experience, with practical scheduling‑oriented reasoning (SCHED_FIFO/RR, priorities, affinity, interrupt path).

• Working knowledge of WCET analysis methodology and tooling (e.g. OTAWA, Chronos, or vendor equivalents).

• Solid C and C++ at the kernel/driver boundary; device tree authoring; practical scripting for engineering workflows.

• Experience on ARM SoCs with multi‑cluster configurations (e.g. Cortex‑A + Cortex‑R), or comparable platforms.

• A collaborative working style: shared design, constructive code review, proactive communication, and reliable coordination across hardware, communications, and safety disciplines. Strong teamwork is essential for this role.

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to Have

• EtherCAT familiarity sufficient for OS / fieldbus‑boundary co‑review (WCET budgets and cycle timing).

• Exposure to functional safety engineering practices (ISO 26262, IEC 61508, or ISO 10218) — documentation, evidence, review cycles. Certification sign‑off is not required for this role.

• Experience with PTP / IEEE 1588 hardware timestamping at the kernel network driver level.

• Background in robotics, motion control, or industrial automation with strict timing expectations.

• Interest in growing scope as the platform team expands.

What you can look forward to

• Become part of an agile company, actively shape topics and benefit from flat hierarchies in a highly motivated team.

• Enjoy an attractive salary, flexible working hours and 30 days of vacation.

• The freedom to contribute your own ideas and drive them forward.

• Celebrate successes together with company events.

• Take advantage of our corporate benefits program.

• And even more fun with great colleagues.