Freelance Linux Kernel Developer Jobs in Buffalo, NY

Who we are looking for:

As an Engineer IV, Embedded Systems within the R&D team, you will serve as a technical anchor for our next-generation hardware platforms. You will design, develop, and optimize high-performance software running on a variety of embedded systems—ranging from single-board computers and edge AI compute modules to custom ARM architecture.

This role requires a unique blend of scrappy, proof-of-concept rapid prototyping and disciplined, production-grade software engineering. You will own the software lifecycle for new devices, ensuring seamless integration between low-level hardware, sensors, edge computing frameworks, and our enterprise cloud infrastructure.

What you will do:

• End-to-End Development: Architect, implement, and maintain embedded software from initial conceptual prototypes to ruggedized, scalable, enterprise-level production code.
• Platform Ownership: Develop and optimize firmware and middleware on platforms including Raspberry Pi, NVIDIA Jetson, and ARM-based System-on-Modules (SOMs).
• Sensor & Peripheral Integration: Write and debug low-level drivers and interfaces for a diverse ecosystem of peripherals, cameras, and environmental sensors via protocols such as I2C, SPI, UART, USB, and PCIe.
• Edge Intelligence & Compute: Optimize software on compute-constrained edge devices, including leveraging hardware acceleration (e.g., CUDA, TensorRT on Jetson platforms) for real-time data processing and computer vision pipelines.
• System Stability & Lifecycle: Design robust fault-detection, automated recovery mechanisms, and secure over-the-air (OTA) firmware update systems to ensure maximum field stability.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with hardware/electrical engineers, mechanical designers, and cloud backend teams to define system architectures and interfaces.
• Mentorship & Standards: Drive code quality through rigorous code reviews, automated testing, and comprehensive documentation. Mentor junior and mid-level engineers on the team.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

What you will need:

• Ability to read, write, speak and understand English.
• BS degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience).

• 6+ years’ Professional experience in embedded software development, with a proven track record of shipping commercial or industrial hardware products
• Expert-level proficiency in C and C++; strong scripting skills in Python or Bash for testing and automation.
• OS Expertise: Deep experience developing within Embedded Linux environments (including kernel configuration, device tree modification, and custom driver development).
• Hands-on experience building applications on Raspberry Pi (Linux/Debian) and NVIDIA Jetson (JetPack ecosystem).
• Solid understanding of hardware communication protocols: SPI, I2C, UART, CAN bus, USB.
• Experience interfacing with high-resolution image sensors, cameras, or specialized sensors.
• Proficiency with modern software engineering tools: Git, CMake, Docker, and CI/CD pipelines tailored for embedded targets.
• Familiarity with networking stacks and IoT communication protocols (TCP/IP, UDP, MQTT, gRPC).
• Comfortable utilizing lab equipment like oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and multimeters to debug hardware/software boundary issues.
• Expert in version control systems including trunk-based development, multiple release planning, cherry picking, and rebase.

Nice to Have Technical Competencies

• Experience with custom Linux distribution builders like Yocto Project or Buildroot.
• Familiarity with real-time operating systems (RTOS) or bare-metal ARM development.
• Experience deploying or optimizing machine learning models at the edge.

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