Senior Embedded Linux Engineer

Neros Technologies; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 165,000 - 231,000; Full time

Job summary

Neros Technologies in the United States is seeking a Senior Embedded Linux Engineer to own the embedded Linux platform across flight, ground-station, and autonomy software teams.

You will manage the distribution, kernel, bootloader, and SDK, mentor engineers, and ensure secure boot and reliable updates across the product line, enabling rapid, scalable deployment of drones.

Qualifications

• Deep embedded Linux experience with custom Linux images (Yocto/Buildroot).
• Kernel-level competence: drivers, device tree, and debugging kernel/boot failures on real hardware.
• Bootloader experience (U-Boot or similar), secure boot concepts and safe update/recovery design.
• Strong C, comfortable on both kernel and user space; scripting (Python/shell) for platform tooling.
• Board bring-up experience—from schematic review to booting a stable OS image.
• Platform-as-product mindset: designed libraries, SDKs, or interfaces consumed by other teams.

Responsibilities

• Own our embedded Linux distribution and board support packages (Yocto/Buildroot) — from board bring-up on new compute platforms to safe, reliable field updates.
• Own kernel configuration, device drivers, and the bootloader, including secure boot and update/recovery paths.
• Design and maintain the common runtime and libraries other teams consume — logging, telemetry, IPC, configuration — and the cross-compile toolchain and SDK.
• Bring up new compute platforms: from first power-on to a production-ready OS image.
• Set Linux platform best practices and mentor engineers across teams that build on the platform.

Skills

Embedded Linux

Kernel drivers

Bootloader

C programming

Scripting

Board bring-up

SDK design

Tools

Yocto/Buildroot

U-Boot

Job description

Who We Are

Neros is a defense technology company rebuilding America’s drone industrial base. We design and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are tested in combat, iterated at startup speed, and built at massive scale. Our team culture is fast, hands-on, and obsessed with closing the gap between design and deployment.

What You Will Be Doing

Neros builds first-person-view drones for the modern battlefield. As Senior Embedded Linux Engineer, you will own the embedded Linux platform underneath Neros products — the distribution, kernel, bootloader, and SDK that our flight, ground-station, and autonomy software teams build on. This is a platform-ownership role: your customers are other engineering teams, and your work is the foundation the whole product line stands on.

Responsibilities

• Own our embedded Linux distribution and board support packages (Yocto/Buildroot) — from board bring-up on new compute platforms to safe, reliable field updates


• Own kernel configuration, device drivers, and the bootloader, including secure boot and update/recovery paths


• Design and maintain the common runtime and libraries other teams consume — logging, telemetry, IPC, configuration — and the cross-compile toolchain and SDK


• Bring up new compute platforms: from first power-on to a production-ready OS image


• Set Linux platform best practices and mentor engineers across teams that build on the platform

You should have the following

• Deep embedded Linux experience — you have built and shipped products on custom Linux images (Yocto or Buildroot), owning the image rather than just using it


• Kernel-level competence: device drivers, device tree, and debugging kernel or boot failures on real hardware


• Bootloader experience (U-Boot or similar), including secure boot concepts and safe update/recovery design


• Strong C, comfortable on both sides of the kernel/user space boundary; scripting (Python/shell) for platform tooling


• Board bring-up experience — taking a new SoC/SoM from schematic review to a booting, stable OS


• Platform-as-product mindset: you have designed libraries, SDKs, or interfaces consumed by other teams — and kept them stable while the platform evolved underneath

Nice to have

• Radio/comms integration on embedded Linux


• Real-time tuning — PREEMPT_RT, latency analysis


• OTA/update systems — Mender, RAUC, SWUpdate, OSTree, or homegrown equivalents


• Upstream contributions — kernel, Yocto/OpenEmbedded, U-Boot


• Rust for systems work


• You fly — FPV, RC, or drones generally

US Salary Range

$165,000 – $231,000 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Neros' total compensation package.

We’re an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applicants without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.