Staff Software Engineer, Linux Kernel & Driver Development

General Motors LLC

Austin (TX)

Hybrid

USD 140,000 - 190,000

Full time

14 days+
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Benefits offered by this job

Relocation benefits

Job summary

General Motors seeks a Staff Software Engineer to lead Linux kernel and device driver development for automotive-grade embedded platforms in Austin, TX. You will drive kernel bring-up, camera interfaces, BSP work, and low-level debugging while coordinating with hardware teams to ensure robust, scalable software for in-vehicle infotainment and embedded systems.

The role emphasizes system-level diagnostics, health monitoring, and participation in upstream Linux kernel contributions.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a related field, or work equivalent experience.
  • 8+ years of embedded Linux kernel development, device driver programming, and board bring-up.
  • Expertise in Linux kernel internals, including memory management, scheduling, file systems, and IPC mechanisms.
  • Experience in camera bring-up, including MIPI-CSI, ISP tuning, V4L2, and image processing pipelines.
  • Strong experience with BSP development, bootloaders (U-Boot), and firmware integration.
  • Deep knowledge of USB, PCIe, I2C, SPI, and MIPI-CSI communications.
  • Experience with Ethernet interfaces and network protocols (BLE, Bluetooth 5.0).
  • Proficiency in diagnostics, health monitoring, and fault detection for embedded systems.
  • Familiarity with manufacturing and production support, including hardware validation, firmware flashing, and end-of-line testing.
  • Proficiency in low-level debugging tools (JTAG, GDB, ftrace, kdump, perf).
  • Experience with SoC architectures and hardware interaction at the register level.
  • Knowledge of power management techniques, security frameworks, and real-time optimizations in Linux-based systems.
  • Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to analyze complex system issues across software and hardware domains.
  • Excellent communication skills with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and enhance Linux kernel and device drivers, including those for camera sensors, display interfaces, multimedia subsystems, and networking.
  • Lead system bring-up activities, including bootloader configuration, camera pipeline initialization, BSP development, and low-level debugging.
  • Integrate and optimize hardware components, including USB, PCIe, I2C-connected peripherals, and Ethernet interfaces.
  • Develop and implement diagnostics and health monitoring solutions, ensuring system reliability and fault detection.
  • Analyse and troubleshoot low-level system issues across camera interfaces, high-speed data buses, and network connectivity.
  • Support manufacturing and production processes, including hardware validation, firmware flashing, and end-of-line testing.
  • Work closely with hardware teams to validate and debug platform issues.
  • Contribute to upstream Linux kernel development and open-source communities.
  • Define Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and drive software stability and performance improvements.

Skills

Embedded Linux kernel
Device driver development
Board bring-up
Linux kernel internals
Camera bring-up
BSP development
Bootloaders (U-Boot)
Firmware integration
USB/PCIe/I2C/SPI
Networking (BLE/Bluetooth)
Diagnostics & health monitoring
SoC architectures
Low-level debugging (JTAG/GDB)
Power management & RTOS Linux

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related field
Work equivalent experience

Tools

U-Boot
JTAG
GDB
ftrace
perf
kdump

Job description

Job Description

Hybrid: This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to [Austin, TX] three times per week, at minimum [or other frequency dictated by the business if more than 3 days]. General Motors is seeking a highly skilled and experienced professional to join our team as a Staff Software Engineer, Linux Kernel & Driver Development. As a global leader in the automotive industry, General Motors is committed to delivering high-quality vehicles that exceed customer expectations. This role will be instrumental in the bring-up of next-generation automotive computing platforms, focusing on Linux kernel development, device drivers, low-level system integration, diagnostics, and health monitoring for our in-vehicle infotainment and embedded systems.

Responsibilities
  • Develop and enhance Linux kernel and device drivers, including those for camera sensors, display interfaces, multimedia subsystems, and networking (WLAN, LAN, BLE, BT5.0).
  • Lead system bring-up activities, including bootloader configuration, camera pipeline initialization, board support package (BSP) development, and low-level debugging.
  • Integrate and optimize hardware components, including USB, PCIe, I2C-connected peripherals, and Ethernet interfaces to ensure seamless operation within our embedded software stack.
  • Develop and implement diagnostics and health monitoring solutions, ensuring system reliability, predictive maintenance, and fault detection in critical automotive systems.
  • Analyse and troubleshoot low-level system issues, particularly in camera interfaces (MIPI-CSI, ISP bring-up), high-speed data buses, and network connectivity.
  • Support manufacturing and production processes, including hardware validation, firmware flashing, and end-of-line testing to ensure smooth integration of software into production vehicles.
  • Work closely with hardware teams to validate and debug platform issues, ensuring optimal hardware-software interaction.
  • Contribute to upstream Linux kernel development and work with open-source communities where applicable.
  • Define Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and work towards continuously improving software stability, performance, and maintainability.
Qualifications and Requirements
  • Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a related field, or Work equivalent experience
  • 8+ years of experience in embedded Linux kernel development, device driver programming, and board bring-up.
  • Expertise in Linux kernel internals, including memory management, scheduling, file systems, and IPC mechanisms.
  • Experience in camera bring-up, including MIPI-CSI, ISP tuning, V4L2 framework, and image processing pipelines.
  • Strong experience with BSP development, bootloaders (e.g., U-Boot), and firmware integration.
  • Deep knowledge of communication protocols such as USB, PCIe, I2C, SPI, and MIPI-CSI.
  • Experience with Ethernet interfaces (WLAN, LAN) and network protocols (BLE, Bluetooth 5.0).
  • Proficiency in diagnostics, health monitoring, and fault detection for embedded systems.
  • Familiarity with manufacturing and production support, including hardware validation, firmware flashing, and end-of-line testing.
  • Proficiency in low-level debugging tools (e.g., JTAG, GDB, ftrace, kdump, perf).
  • Experience with SoC architectures and hardware interaction at the register level.
  • Knowledge of power management techniques, security frameworks, and real‑time optimizations in Linux-based systems.
  • Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to analyze complex system issues across software and hardware domains.
  • Excellent communication skills with the ability to work effectively in cross‑functional teams.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a related field. Advanced degree preferred.
  • 8+ years of experience in embedded Linux kernel development, device driver programming, and board bring-up.
  • Expertise in Linux kernel internals, including memory management, scheduling, file systems, and IPC mechanisms.
  • Experience in camera bring-up, including MIPI-CSI, ISP tuning, V4L2 framework, and image processing pipelines.
  • Strong experience with BSP development, bootloaders (e.g., U-Boot), and firmware integration.
  • Deep knowledge of communication protocols such as USB, PCIe, I2C, SPI, and MIPI-CSI.
  • Experience with Ethernet interfaces (WLAN, LAN) and network protocols (BLE, Bluetooth 5.0).
  • Proficiency in diagnostics, health monitoring, and fault detection for embedded systems.
  • Familiarity with manufacturing and production support, including hardware validation, firmware flashing, and end-of-line testing.
  • Proficiency in low-level debugging tools (e.g., JTAG, GDB, ftrace, kdump, perf).
  • Experience with SoC architectures and hardware interaction at the register level.
  • Knowledge of power management techniques, security frameworks, and real‑time optimizations in Linux-based systems.
  • Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to analyze complex system issues across software and hardware domains.
  • Excellent communication skills with the ability to work effectively in cross‑functional teams.

This job may be eligible for relocation benefits.

Company Vehicle

Upon successful completion of a motor vehicle report review, you will be eligible to participate in a company vehicle evaluation program, through which you will be assigned a General Motors vehicle to drive and evaluate. Note: program participants are required to purchase/lease a qualifying GM vehicle every four years unless one of a limited number of exceptions applies.

About GM

Our vision is a world with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion and we embrace the responsibility to lead the change that will make our world better, safer and more equitable for all.

Why Join Us

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