Linux Application Engineer

Linux Application Engineer-Foster City, CA-Contract

Linux Application Engineer
Onsite in Foster City, CA (at least 3 days per week)

Summary
We're seeking an experienced, driven Linux Application Engineer to join the Software Engineering team. In this critical role, you will lead key software initiatives supporting a new-generation application and architecture for a next-generation vehicle platform. You will build, optimize, and maintain high-performance embedded Linux applications and services that directly power upcoming vehicle programs and service rollouts.

Working closely with cross-functional teams across software, platform, infrastructure, hardware, and vehicle engineering, you will solve complex integration challenges, resolve issues identified during vehicle testing, and drive performance optimizations across hardware architecture platforms.

Key Responsibilities

• Code, develop, and maintain embedded Linux applications and services for next-generation in-vehicle platforms
• Drive the new application architecture, ensuring high reliability, security, and performance
• Design robust, scalable interfaces connecting applications, platform services, and core vehicle systems
• Develop new product features and resolve critical technical issues identified during vehicle testing
• Benchmark and optimize system performance across CPU, GPU, memory, I/O, startup timing, and application latency
• Identify system bottlenecks and propose end-to-end software and architecture-level improvements
• Support software bring-up, system integration, productionization, and deployment on new hardware architectures
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex integration issues, native crashes, system failures, and resource contention
• Implement observability, diagnostics, logging, and automated health monitoring frameworks
• Collaborate across application, hardware, infrastructure, and vehicle engineering domains
• Establish and champion best practices for software development, testing, security, and release management

Required Qualifications

• BS or MS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field
• 8+ years of relevant professional engineering experience
• Strong proficiency in C++ and Python, with hands-on Linux application development
• Proven experience developing services and applications for embedded Linux environments
• Deep knowledge of multithreading, IPC, networking protocols, memory management, and process lifecycles
• Solid background debugging native crashes and complex multi-component system integrations
• Proficiency with performance profiling and analysis tools such as perf, GDB, Valgrind, or equivalent
• Ability to analyze complex CPU, GPU, memory, I/O, latency, and thermal performance metrics
• Experience integrating complex software modules developed by cross-functional internal teams or external partners
• Familiarity with Linux security models, service management, software packaging, and update mechanisms
• Experience with embedded system testing methodologies and automated test frameworks
• Strong collaborative mindset and comfort working hands-on across diverse engineering disciplines

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the automotive industry or with in-vehicle infotainment systems
• Experience with hypervisor-based or multi-OS system architectures
• Familiarity with graphics libraries such as Vulkan, OpenGL, or GPU-accelerated application development
• Experience with enterprise telemetry and system observability frameworks
• Hands-on experience bringing up Linux applications on brand-new hardware platforms