About the Role :
Lead and own platform-level Linux development for complex SoCscovering low-level drivers, board bring-up, performance / power optimization, and security. Youll mentor a small team, collaborate with silicon, firmware, and validation groups, and ship production-grade code across pre-silicon and post-silicon phases.
Key Responsibilities
- Driver Ownership : Design, develop, and upstream / maintain Linux kernel drivers for Ethernet, USB, IC, SPI, UART, and related subsystems.
- Board Bring-Up : Own boot flow, device tree, and BSP integration; debug with JTAG / LA / oscilloscope; support secure boot and interface bring-up.
- Platform Software : Deliver end-to-end platform solutions across multi-core architectures, clock / power domains, and PM frameworks (suspend / resume, DVFS).
- Pre- & Post-Silicon : Enable features on FPGA / emulators (pre-silicon) and take to silicon / EVB with validation and production readiness (post-silicon).
- RTOS Exposure : Interface with FreeRTOS components and bare-metal firmware where required.
- Security & Interfaces : Implement and review interface concepts, sandboxing, access control, and secure update pipelines.
- Mentorship : Guide junior driver developers with code reviews, design reviews, and debug best practices.
- Cross-Functional : Partner with silicon design, verification, QA, and product teams to plan releases and resolve system issues.
Must-Have Qualifications :
10 - 14 years in Linux kernel / device driver development for embedded / SoC platforms.Deep knowledge of kernel subsystems (net / USB / tty / spi / i2c), Device Tree, regmap, interrupt / DMA handling, memory management, and concurrency.Hands-on with multi-core bring-up, clock / power domain control, and power management frameworks.Strong debug skills : crash dumps, ftrace / perf, JTAG, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes.Build systems / toolchains : Yocto / Buildroot, cross-gcc / clang, make / Kconfig; version control (Git).Experience across pre-silicon (FPGA / emulation) and post-silicon validation cycles.Solid C programming; working knowledge of Bash / Python for tooling / automation.Bachelors / Masters in ECE / EE / CS or equivalent.Good to Have :
U-Boot / bootloaders, secure boot / TrustZone, OTA / firmware update pipelines.High-performance networking (TSN, QoS), USB compliance, or PCIe fundamentals.CI / CD (GitLab / Gerrit / Jenkins), static analysis, sanitizers, and coding standards (MISRA when applicable).Exposure to virtualization / containers on embedded Linux.What Success Looks Like (90 Days) :
Week 23 : Environment ready; first driver builds / DT changes merged to integration branch.Day 45 : Stable bring-up of at least one peripheral (e.g., USB or Ethernet) with validated throughput / latency.Day 90 : Power / performance optimizations landed; junior devs operating with your review cadence.Interview Process :
Tech Screen : Kernel / driver fundamentals, debugging scenarios.System Round : Board bring-up, power / clock domains, multi-core case studies.Practical / Code Review : Driver patch or log-based deep dive.Leadership Fit : Mentoring approach, stakeholder collaboration.(ref : hirist.tech)