Space-Grade Linux Kernel Engineer (Mid–Senior)

Medium; Saratoga (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Job summary

E-Space is a fast-growing startup building a space-grade Linux platform. This role focuses on kernel development, driver integration, and close collaboration with embedded and hardware teams to deliver stable, production-ready software for LEO satellite hardware.

You will design, implement, and optimize kernel components, configure builds with Yocto/Buildroot, and upstream patches while ensuring reliability, security, and performance in demanding environments.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience developing in C, with deep familiarity with Linux kernel internals.
• Proven experience writing and debugging Linux device drivers and kernel modules.
• Solid understanding of: Kernel subsystems (memory management, scheduling, filesystems, networking) and Linux boot process and bootloaders.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain Linux kernel code, including drivers, subsystems, and kernel modules
• Port, configure, and optimize the Linux kernel for custom hardware platforms
• Write and maintain device drivers for a range of interfaces (e.g., I2C, SPI, UART, USB, PCIe, Ethernet)
• Debug and resolve kernel panics, race conditions, memory issues, and other low-level system failures
• Profile and optimize kernel and driver performance, including boot time, latency, and power consumption
• Work with bootloaders (e.g., U-Boot) and board bring-up for new hardware revisions
• Collaborate with hardware engineers during board bring-up and hardware/software integration
• Upstream patches where appropriate, and track relevant upstream kernel changes and CVEs
• Contribute to kernel configuration, build systems (e.g., Yocto, Buildroot), and CI integration
• Document kernel architecture decisions, driver interfaces, and debugging procedures in a way that\'s practical and reusable

Skills

C programming

Linux kernel

Device drivers

Kernel internals

Debugging

Tools

Yocto

Buildroot

GDB

Ftrace

Job description

E-Space is a fast-growing startup building a space-grade Linux platform. This role focuses on kernel development, driver integration, and close collaboration with embedded and hardware teams to deliver stable, production-ready software for LEO satellite hardware.

You will design, implement, and optimize kernel components, configure builds with Yocto/Buildroot, and upstream patches while ensuring reliability, security, and performance in demanding environments.