Software Engineer, Embedded Linux

Chariot Defense; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Chariot Defense is seeking an Embedded Linux Engineer in South San Francisco, California. In this hands-on role, you will take custom hardware from assembly to operational status, focusing on embedded platforms used in defense technologies.

Ideal candidates hold a BS degree in Computer Science or related field and have extensive experience with embedded Linux. Responsibilities encompass everything from bootloader development to system service configuration, emphasizing integration with hardware components.

Compensation ranges from $130,000 to $180,000 annually, supplemented with equity and benefits.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience building and shipping embedded Linux on custom hardware.
• Proven experience in board bring-up from powered-off to reliably booting.
• Hands-on with bootloader, kernel configuration, drivers, and device tree.

Responsibilities

• Take newly fabricated boards from assembly to reliably booting.
• Configure bootloader and Linux kernel for specific hardware.
• Integrate custom device drivers for peripherals.

Skills

Embedded Linux

C/C++ programming

Board bring-up

Systems integration

Nix/NixOS

Education

BS in Computer Science or Electrical/Computer Engineering

Tools

JTAG

Cross-compilation tools

Job description

About Us

Chariot Defense is a defense technology company that designs and manufactures a family of power products for the U.S. military and its allies. We believe that credible deterrence of armed conflict and winning if deterrence fails requires more than just the best drones, sensors, weapons, electronic warfare systems, and command & control capabilities. Those critical components will require sustained electric power in austere and resource‑constrained environments. Moreover, military units must be able to turn off the trucks and generators that generate this power to hide and survive. In other words, power generation must be decoupled from power consumption. Chariot Defense’s products enable exactly this capability, allowing U.S. and allied militaries to be more lethal and survivable. We hope you will join us on this mission.

About the Role

We’re looking for an Embedded Linux Engineer to own that software platform from the ground up, taking a bare, custom‑built board and getting Linux to boot and run reliably on it, then keeping that stack maintainable as we ship and update units in the field. You’ll be the engineer responsible for embedded platforms that are built, deployed, and updated across Amphora and future products. Our team comes from Tesla, Anduril, Apple, Archer, and the U.S. military, and we’re already fielded across DoD exercises. This is a high‑ownership, hands‑on role that sits right at the hardware‑software boundary.

Key Responsibilities

• Board bring‑up: Take freshly fabricated carrier boards from freshly assembled to reliably booting — methodically proving out power, memory, and communication interfaces, hands‑on with hardware on the bench.
• Bootloader & kernel configuration: Stand up the bootloader and configure the Linux kernel so it correctly recognizes and drives our specific hardware.
• Device drivers & device tree: Describe our custom hardware to Linux and integrate the drivers needed to talk to peripherals that aren’t found in any standard catalog.
• Build & deploy with Nix / NixOS: Own our operating system defined as code — producing reproducible, identical images and building safe update and rollback paths for fielded units.
• Networking & system services: Configure on‑device networking and the system services our higher‑level software depends on.
• Reliability & maintainability: Build the platform so it stays robust and serviceable across the product’s life, under the conditions a defense product actually faces.
• Cross‑functional integration: Partner closely with the firmware and hardware teams, sitting at the seam between low‑level hardware and the software that runs on top of it.

What We’re Looking For

• Top‑notch engineering intuition and first principles thinking toward designing complex products that function seamlessly for your customer, taking both an engineering/technical and product/customer approach, to strike the optimal balance.
• Able to independently identify critical information or priority gaps and apply effort toward closing those gaps.
• Undaunted by imperfect, incomplete or absent datasets or information, and capable of making sound, comprehensive, and swift first‑principled decisions to achieve a product end‑state that meets and/or exceeds the need of the hour.
• Not satisfied by superficial explanations of a problem or "band‑aid engineering"; seeks persistently to find the specific root cause through data‑driven methods, and resolve failures or recurring issues, so they can be mitigated to prevent future such instances.
• Gratified by helping your peers succeed, building a robust team culture, and propagating deep camaraderie amongst your peers; seeks to break down information silos by collaborating rigorously with others to solve problems, share knowledge, and provide input.

Qualifications

Required

• BS in Computer Science, Electrical/Computer Engineering, or equivalent demonstrated experience.
• 3+ years building and shipping embedded Linux on custom hardware.
• Proven board bring‑up experience, from powered‑off to reliably booting.
• Hands‑on with the boot chain: bootloader, kernel configuration, drivers, and device tree.
• Fluent in C/C++ and the embedded Linux toolchain (cross‑compilation, JTAG, serial debug).
• Exposure to embedded communication interfaces (CAN, SPI, I2C, UART) at the OS and driver level.

Preferred

• Experience with Nix/NixOS.
• Experience with OS configuration as code, Yocto, Ansible.
• Production Rust experience.
• Familiarity with ARM SoCs/SoMs on custom carrier boards.
• Background in automotive, aerospace, defense, robotics, or energy.

Role Requirements

• This position is an onsite role based in Chariot Defense’s San Bruno, CA, office.
• Willingness to support 10% travel, domestically and internationally, as well as work extended and weekend hours, when necessary.
• Able to work on your feet for extended periods in a shop setting.
• Able to lift and carry 50lbs.

A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $130,000-$180,000 annually. Compensation packages also include early‑stage equity and access to company-sponsored benefit plans.

Individual compensation packages are based on geographic location, scope of the role, relevant experience, and the ability to deal with complexity and problem solve within our organization, among other factors.

All employees are required to provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. within their first 3 days of work. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Any unsolicited resumes/candidate profiles submitted through our website or to personal email accounts of employees of Chariot Defense are considered property of Chariot Defense and are not subject to payment of agency fees.