Entry Level Linux Kernel Engineer Jobs in Austin, TX

We're seeking a Software Development Engineer with deep expertise in Linux distribution development and Board Support Package (BSP) engineering for ARM-based compute platforms. This role is critical to Amazon Robotics operations, where you'll build and maintain custom Linux solutions that power compute devices across our global fulfillment and robotics network. You'll be responsible for developing scalable BSP solutions and managing large-scale deployment operations across diverse hardware ecosystems supporting Amazon's robotics infrastructure.
Work Environment
This role supports Amazon Robotics operations and may require occasional travel to fulfillment centers and robotics sites for hardware validation, troubleshooting, or deployment support. The position involves working with distributed teams across multiple time zones and participating in on-call rotations to ensure 24/7 support for critical robotics and fulfillment operations.
Why Amazon Robotics?
Join a team that's building the technology infrastructure powering Amazon's global robotics and fulfillment network. Your work will directly impact millions of customer orders and enable Amazon's commitment to fast, reliable delivery. You'll work with pioneering robotics technology at an unprecedented scale, solving complex technical challenges that few organizations face. We offer opportunities for growth, learning, and making a
meaningful impact on one of the world's most sophisticated robotics and logistics operations.
Key job responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain Linux BSP images for ARM compute platforms deployed across Amazon's robotics and fulfillment network using Yocto Project or custom build systems
- Create and maintain Yocto recipes, build configurations, package recipes, and system layers optimized for ARM architectures and robotics/fulfillment center requirements
- Implement A/B update mechanisms with dual-boot partition systems and rollback capabilities to ensure zero-downtime updates across the fleet
- Integrate device drivers and kernel modules specific to robotics and fulfillment center hardware requirements into Linux build systems
- Deploy BSP builds at scale across Amazon's global fulfillment and robotics network, managing deployments across hundreds of buildings and hundreds of thousands of devices
- Develop deployment automation for fleet management operations and validate system stability across diverse hardware configurations
- Perform validation of BSP functionality including hardware interfaces, peripherals, and system components
- Monitor and troubleshoot BSP deployments in production environments, responding to issues affecting robotics and fulfillment operations
- Develop automated testing frameworks for BSP validation across different hardware variants
- Ensure system security hardening and compliance with Amazon's security standards for robotics and edge compute devices
- Collaborate with robotics and fulfillment center operations teams to ensure minimal disruption during updates and maintenance windows
- Create and maintain documentation for build processes, deployment procedures, and troubleshooting guides
- Participate in on-call rotations to support critical robotics and fulfillment center operation
Professional Skills:
- Strong problem-solving abilities and analytical thinking
- Excellent communication skills for cross-functional collaboration
- Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Customer-obsessed mindset with focus on operational excellence
- Willingness to participate in on-call rotations to support critical operations
A day in the life
Your day typically starts by building Yocto recipes for new hardware platforms, ensuring the BSP stack is ready to support upcoming device variants. From there, you'll review overnight CI/CD build results, troubleshoot failed Yocto builds, and write BitBake recipes to integrate device drivers. You'll spend time on kernel configuration work to optimize boot time and memory usage, then sync with robotics workcell engineers to work through active issues - whether that's understanding new hardware requirements coming down the pipeline, debugging integration problems between the BSP and workcell control systems, or aligning on interface expectations for upcoming device variants. You'll investigate A/B update issues from test deployments and collaborate with operations teams on deployment plans for security patches across multiple fulfillment centers and robotics networks. You'll monitor fleet health dashboards, automate deployment tasks using Python, and work on improving the orchestration system based on real-world edge cases.
The rest of your day involves design reviews for new update mechanism features, code reviews for build system changes, mentoring team members on Yocto configurations, and updating deployment documentation. Later in the afternoon, you'll join the team standup to discuss upcoming BSP releases and deployment schedules. Throughout the day, you'll balance deep technical Linux systems with operational responsibilities, responding to deployment questions, monitoring fleet metrics, and staying ready to address critical issues affecting Amazon Robotics operations.
Amazon offers a full range of benefits that support you and eligible family members, including domestic partners and their children. Benefits can vary by location, the number of regularly scheduled hours you work, length of employment, and job status such as seasonal or temporary employment.
The benefits that generally apply to regular, full-time employees include:
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
- Maternity and Parental Leave Options
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- 401(k) Plan
If you are not sure that every qualification on the list above describes you exactly, we'd still love to hear from you!
At Amazon, we value people with unique backgrounds, experiences, and skillsets. If you're passionate about this role and want to make an impact on a global scale, please apply!
About the team
Join a team at the forefront of Amazon Robotics technology infrastructure, managing one of the largest device fleets in Amazon Operations. Our team specializes in OS development, device lifecycle management, and custom Linux distributions for edge compute devices and robots, supporting operations across hundreds of fulfillment buildings worldwide. We maintain critical technology ecosystems that enable Amazon's fulfillment and robotics operations to run efficiently and reliably on a massive scale.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 3+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
- 2+ years of non-internship design or architecture (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent work experience
- Experience debugging, diagnosing, and troubleshooting complex, production software issues
- Experience developing and maintaining Linux distributions with build frameworks for embedded or edge computing environments, including system administration, driver management, and system configuration.
- Experience with ARM architectures (ARM64/AArch64, ARMv7, or other ARM variants) including cross-compilation toolchains and platform-specific optimizations.
- Knowledge of update systems, partition management (A/B updates), system recovery mechanisms, rollback strategies, and bootloader configuration (U-Boot, GRUB, etc.).
- Experience integrating device drivers and kernel modules into Linux build systems.
- Knowledge using Rust/C/C++ for system-level programming and Python for automation and tooling.
- 3+ years deploying and managing custom Linux solutions across diverse hardware configurations at fleet scale, including validation of BSP functionality, interfaces, and peripherals.
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines, version control systems (Git), and automated testing frameworks.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with Yocto Project including BitBake, recipes, layers, and configuration management.
- Experience with fleet management systems and large-scale device orchestration platforms.
- Knowledge of Linux security hardening, secure boot implementations, and vulnerability management.
- Experience with containerization technologies (Docker, LXC) for edge computing.
- Knowledge of system monitoring and observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, CloudWatch.
- Experience working with open-source Linux projects or embedded systems communities.
- Experience with AWS services and infrastructure for device management and monitoring.
- Knowledge of robotics systems, fulfillment center operations, or warehouse automation.
- Experience working with humanoid robotics platforms, including motion planning, sensor fusion, or embedded BSP support for humanoid compute hardware.
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you're applying in isn't listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, TX, Austin - 143,700.00 - 194,400.00 USD annually