Balena Jobs (NOW HIRING)

About Bonsai Robotics
Bonsai Robotics develops affordable, vision-based autonomy that makes off-road equipment smarter, safer, and more productive. We are redefining outdoor autonomy with Bonsai Intelligence, a connected platform that's inspired by biology to see, think, and act with precision like a human. We bring together advanced perception, embodied AI, integrations with equipment manufacturers, and our compact, modular Amiga vehicles to deliver reliable automation to the world's most demanding field operations-reducing costs and increasing operational efficiencies.
About the role
We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer, Embedded Platform to own the embedded Linux platform that keeps our fleet running in the field. Our machines operate in orchards and row crops far from the office, on intermittent connectivity, and they need to be updated, configured, monitored, and debugged remotely. This role owns that end to end: the Yocto-based operating system image, the over-the-air update path, fleet configuration and provisioning, and the observability infrastructure that tells us what every machine is doing. The ideal candidate is a Linux systems engineer who is comfortable from the bootloader up to a cloud dashboard, and who treats "we had to drive out to the field to fix it" as a bug.
What you'll do

• Own over-the-air (OTA) updates end to end across the fleet - image build and signing, staged rollout, rollback and failure recovery, and update delivery to both Linux compute modules and CAN-connected embedded controllers.
• Own fleet management infrastructure - device identity and provisioning, hierarchical configuration and secrets management, remote access, and an accurate live picture of what software every machine is running.
• Build the observability stack for a distributed fleet - on-robot telemetry, metrics, logs, and health signals flowing to the cloud, with dashboards and alerting that surface failures before a customer calls.
• Own the OS layer - Yocto-based BSP maintenance, kernel and device tree configuration, system services, boot and recovery paths, and reproducible image builds across multiple compute platforms.
• Design and maintain build and release infrastructure for embedded targets - cross-compilation, CI/CD, artifact management, and release pipelines that make deploying to a live machine routine rather than an event.
• Partner with the firmware, autonomy, and field operations teams to define integration and release requirements across multiple robot form factors.
• As an early platform engineer at a growing team, expect to work outside this scope regularly - bringing up new hardware, unblocking a field deployment, or building whatever tooling the team needs next.

Qualifications

• Strong computer science fundamentals and systems fluency
• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, with 5+ years of industry experience in embedded Linux, infrastructure, or robotics platform engineering
• Strong proficiency in Rust, C/C++, and Python
• Linux systems programming - networking, IPC, process management, systemd, device drivers
• Experience building or operating embedded Linux distributions with Yocto/OpenEmbedded, Buildroot, or a custom BSP, including kernel and device tree work
• Hands-on experience with OTA update systems (Mender, RAUC, SWUpdate, OSTree, balena, or equivalent) including A/B partitioning, atomic updates, and rollback
• Fleet device management at scale - provisioning, remote configuration, secrets distribution, and remote access to devices behind NAT or on cellular links
• Observability and monitoring infrastructure (Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry, or similar) applied to intermittently connected edge devices
• CI/CD, containerization, and cross-compilation for ARM64 embedded targets
• Cloud infrastructure experience (AWS or equivalent) and infrastructure-as-code
• Strong debugging instincts across the whole stack, from a kernel log on a machine in a field to a cloud metrics pipeline, with the ability to work independently and collaboratively

Exceptional Candidates Will Also Bring

• Embedded firmware programming - bare metal or RTOS development, and hardware bring-up on custom boards
• CAN bus systems for off-road and agricultural equipment - J1939, UDS/ISO-TP diagnostics, and firmware flashing to CAN-connected ECUs
• Experience shipping software to fleets operating on unreliable or low-bandwidth connectivity
• NVIDIA Jetson/Orin platforms and L4T (Linux for Tegra, NVIDIA's Jetson board support package)
• Secure boot, image signing, and key management (SOPS, AWS KMS, or similar)
• Deep understanding of ROS/ROS2 or similar robotics middleware, and familiarity with Zenoh
• Exposure to agricultural, construction, or off-road robotics
• Experience building developer tooling and reproducible development environments for embedded teams
• Data infrastructure experience - high-volume ingest, time-series storage, log pipelines
• Familiarity with functional safety processes for off-road machinery (ISO 25119, ISO 13849)

Life at Bonsai Robotics
At Bonsai, we're building the future of robotics and we know that means investing in our people. We're committed to creating a workplace where you can do your best work, grow your skills, and feel genuinely part of something bigger.
Hybrid Flexibility (for selective roles)
We operate on a hybrid model because we believe the best collaboration happens both in person and from where you work best. You'll have the flexibility to split your time between our office and home, so you can stay connected to the team while maintaining the balance that works for you.
Work-life Balance
The best employees are those who create balance in their lives, which is why we prioritize balance and well-being for everyone at Bonsai. We foster a supportive environment where teammates look out for each other.
Covered Lunch
On in-office days, we've got lunch covered. It's a small thing that makes a big difference, with more time to connect with teammates and less to worry about.
Wellness and Benefits
Your health matters. We offer comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision), mental health support, and wellness programs designed to help you thrive both physically and mentally.
Collaborative Culture
At Bonsai, you're not just part of a team, you're part of a community. We celebrate wins together, support each other through challenges, and genuinely enjoy the people we work with. From team events to cross-functional collaboration, we're building something together.
Mission-driven Work
Every day, you're contributing to advancements in robotics that matter. If you're excited about innovation and impact, you'll find it here.
Bonsai Robotics is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or nationality, ancestry, age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status or any other category protected by law.
The pay range for this role is:
180,000 - 215,000 USD per year (San Jose, CA)