Senior/Staff Software Engineer - Embedded Linux Operating Systems

Zoox's Robot Software Infrastructure team is seeking a passionate software engineer to help develop and advance the common performant operating system that powers several devices on our vehicle including Autonomy systems. This team develops platform-level software and services, including operating systems that enable complex, hardware-accelerated workloads critical for autonomous driving on automotive-grade hardware.

We work closely with cross-functional teams—including developers, release management, hardware engineering, manufacturing and operations—to support vehicle development and deployment at scale.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain the operating system platform that powers various on-bot devices and applications
• Architect and implement platform-level software to support robust and scalable robotics infrastructure
• Configure and manage embedded Linux build systems (e.g., Yocto) and bootloader processes (e.g., U-Boot) to ensure reliable system startup and maintenance
• Develop and optimize device drivers and kernel-space components using C, C++, or Rust to meet performance and reliability requirements
• Collaborate cross-functionally to support seamless integration and delivery of the OS platform, triage issues, support new hardware bring-up and manufacturing functions

Qualifications

• 8+ years delivering production systems and software applications, 2+ years of delivering custom Embedded Linux operating systems
• Deep understanding of Linux, build systems like Yocto, and bootloaders like U-Boot
• Familiarity with Linux init systems (e.g., systemd), containerization concepts (e.g., chroot, cgroups, Linux namespaces), and filesystems
• Understanding of device drivers and kernel-space code and proficiency in a language without automatic memory management (e.g., C or C++), and in multiple scripting languages like Bash and Python
• Strong written and verbal communication skills along with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience with embedded Linux in a robotics application
• Familiarity with security software: PKI, secure boot, OTA software update, hardware key storage, etc.
• Familiarity with Nvidia GPUs, Nvidia Thor/Orin, Cuda, TRT, etc.
• Graduate degree with a focus on networking, operating systems, or firmware