Software Engineer, Embedded BSP/Kernel (Robotics OS)

Meta; Burlingame (CA); On-site; USD 219,000 - 301,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Meta is seeking a Software Engineer, Embedded BSP/Kernel (Robotics OS) to architect and evolve the robotics OS for Thor-class robot compute. You will define the multi-year strategy, build a reproducible, secure OS image, and drive board bring-up from boot through kernel and drivers.

You will work with hardware, firmware, controls, and AI teams across Meta and NVIDIA. The role emphasizes real-time control and AI workloads sharing a single computer, with a strong focus on updates, security, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years shipping embedded Linux or Android-based products.
• Experience architecting an OS/BSP or platform software stack.
• Deep experience with C and Linux kernel internals.
• Proficient in C++, Rust or Python.
• Experience with ARM64 bring-up and production OS.
• Knowledge of Yocto/OpenEmbedded, Buildroot, or similar.
• Ability to debug cross-layer hardware-firmware-kernel-space issues.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the technical strategy and multi-year roadmap for the Robotics OS.
• Architect the next-generation OS image (Yocto / meta-tegra).
• Define production update strategy (OTA/A-B, secure boot, provisioning).
• Shape real-time architecture and latency budgets for control loops and AI workloads.
• Collaborate with NVIDIA Jetson teams and Meta engineers; plan releases with minimal fork debt.
• Drive board bring-up, boot chain, device trees, drivers for robot hardware.
• Build reliability/observability tooling for remote diagnostics.
• Mentor engineers and help shape on-call and operational practices.

Skills

C/C++

Linux kernel internals

Real-time systems

Python

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering

Tools

Yocto/OpenEmbedded

Buildroot

AOSP

Debian packaging

Job description

Meta Robotics Studio builds consumer humanoid robots that bring Meta's AI into the physical world. Our robots run on NVIDIA Jetson Thor with Meta-designed carrier boards and JetPack OS. The Robotics OS team owns everything between the silicon and the robot learning stack. On one chip, our robots run real-time control loops over EtherCAT while large vision-language-action (VLA) models run on the GPU. Our job is to make that computer do both, deterministically, every time it boots.We are hiring a software engineer to help architect and evolve the robotics OS, Meta's build of NVIDIA Jetson Linux for Thor-class robot compute. Working with the team, you will help shape the multi-year technical direction for the robot's operating system, including how we build, release and update it, how it shares one computer between real-time control and AI workloads, and how it scales from a lab of prototypes to a large fleet of production robots. You will work closely with hardware, firmware, controls, and AI engineers across Meta, and with NVIDIA's Jetson engineering teams as one of several technical points of contact on the platform. This is a hands-on role: when a new board spin won't boot or the control loop misses a deadline, you will be in the kernel log alongside the rest of the team.Software Engineer, Embedded BSP/Kernel (Robotics OS) Responsibilities:Contribute to the technical strategy and multi-year roadmap for the Robotics OS. This covers the board support package (BSP), kernel, OS image, update system, real-time behavior, GPU platform, and fleet tooling across every robot program and compute platform (AGX Thor, IGX Thor, and future NVIDIA silicon)Architect the next-generation OS image, including the move to a Yocto / meta-tegra based build. Make it reproducible, hermetic and secure, and make it fast for many engineers to iterate onDefine and drive the production update strategy: atomic A/B and over-the-air updates, rollback, secure and verified boot, fusing and signing, and factory provisioning, so we can ship to a growing fleet safelyShape the platform's real-time architecture. Help define how CPU cores, interrupts, memory and the GPU are divided between control loops at kilohertz rates and large AI models. Set the latency budgets and the measurement infrastructure that proves we meet themCollaborate with NVIDIA's Jetson engineering teams alongside other Meta engineers: share requirements, push fixes upstream, and help plan how we adopt new Jetson Linux / JetPack releases with minimal fork debtPartner with electrical, firmware, and mechanical engineers on new compute and carrier-board designs. Weigh in early on SoC configuration, interfaces, power and thermal so boards are easier to bring up and software stays simplerDrive bring-up of new boards and modules end to end: boot chain (MB1/MB2, UEFI), BPMP and device tree, pinmux, PCIe/USB/Ethernet, power profiles, and the drivers for robot hardware (EtherCAT, USB-C power delivery, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, sensors, cameras)Help set the quality bar for the RT kernel and out-of-tree drivers: kernel configuration, ABI compatibility, and a plan to upstream changes or align with Meta's kernel instead of carrying long-lived patchesBuild the reliability and observability foundation: crash and kernel-log capture, symbolization, boot-time tracing, health telemetry, and fleet triage tooling, so that any robot failure can be diagnosed remotelyRaise the bar for the engineers around you through design reviews, mentorship, and technical hiring. Grow OS and embedded talent on the team, and help shape on-call and operational practicesMinimum Qualifications:Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience10+ years of experience building and shipping system software for embedded Linux or Android-based productsExperience architecting and owning an operating system, BSP or platform software stack on a shipped hardware productDeep experience with C and Linux kernel internals, including device drivers, device tree, scheduling, interrupts, and memory managementProficient in at least one of C++, Rust or PythonExperience driving new-SoC or new-board bring-up on ARM64, from boot chain through kernel to a production OSExperience designing OS image build and release systems, such as Yocto/OpenEmbedded, Buildroot, Debian packaging or AOSP, including the strategy for updates and release managementExperience debugging hard cross-layer problems spanning hardware, firmware, kernel and user spaceExperience influencing technical direction across multiple teams or organizations, including external silicon or hardware vendorsPreferred Qualifications:Experience growing a platform from prototype to production fleet scaleA track record of upstream contributions to the Linux kernel, Yocto or related open-source projectsExperience designing secure boot, verified boot and OTA / A/B update systems for a large device fleetExperience with EtherCAT, CAN-FD or other robotics fieldbuses, and with host-to-microcontroller architectures (FreeRTOS, Zephyr)GPU platform experience: CUDA, NVML/MIG, TensorRT, or deploying ML inference on edge devices alongside real-time workloadsDeep hands-on experience with NVIDIA Jetson (Orin / Thor) and Jetson Linux / JetPack, including custom carrier-board bring-up, BCT/BPMP configuration, nvidia-oot, and flashing and mass-production toolingExperience with real-time Linux in production (PREEMPT\\_RT, CPU and interrupt isolation, latency analysis) for robotics, automotive, industrial or other safety-critical systemsExperience with Yocto / meta-tegra, and with hermetic build and CI systemsExperience with AOSP or other mobile/XR OS platform work: vendor BSP integration, HALs, SELinux, init, OTA, or kernel and vendor upgrade programsAbout Meta:Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today—beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.Meta is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Meta participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law. Please note that Meta may leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in connection with applications for employment.Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at [e-mail].$219,000/year to $301,000/year + bonus + equity + benefitsIndividual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate, monthly rate, or annual salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base compensation, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta.