Principal Software Engineer, Embedded Linux (AI2497) - San Jose, California, United States
$203,800 - $315,900 USD yearly
Originally posted 22 April 2026 by the employer.
About the role
The Principal Software Engineer, Embedded Linux develops OS device drivers, boot software, and key test applications as part of the SoC software team creating the SDK for SiMa.ai’s MLSoC product line. The role covers developing and porting OS, runtime environments, and drivers across multiple CPU and IO subsystems.
What you'll do
- Leverage IP software from Synopsys and ARM and integrate into the MLSoC SW environment. - Develop peripheral device drivers for low- and high-speed interfaces in Linux. - Develop drivers and support for Docker and Hypervisor environments. - Test and verify Linux drivers and environments using Chip Virtualizers and Zebu emulators. - Implement hardware communication between multiple heterogeneous cores and configure Linux environments for reference boards. - Modify and perform Yocto and eLxr/Debian builds for new functionality and support the HW MLSoC test validation team.
What you'll need
- BS or MS in Computer Science with a minimum of 10 years of experience. - Hands-on experience developing firmware, boot code, and software using 64-bit Arm processors. - Hands-on experience developing drivers for SPI, I2C, USB, PCIe, MIPI, Ethernet, and eMMC. - Experience collaborating with silicon teams on pre-silicon verification, post-silicon bring-up, and troubleshooting. - Proficiency with C/C++.
Skills: OS device drivers, Embedded Linux, Yocto, Hypervisor, pre-silicon verification
This role has been open 111 days — well above the 61-day median for Systems Software Engineering roles.
Systems Software Engineering · Systems Software
|
Open roles in category
697
|
Median days open
61 d
|
Median salary
$210k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | SiMa.ai | All employers we track in this specialty (697 roles · 73 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 3 | 697 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 8 | 6296 · 145 employers |
| Median days open | 92 d | 61 d (+31 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $210k |
Skills observed across this category: OS device drivers, Embedded Linux, Yocto, Hypervisor, pre-silicon verification
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm · 172 open roles · median 82 d
- NVIDIA · 133 open roles · median 42 d
- AMD · 61 open roles · median 50 d
- Mobileye · 25 open roles · median 76 d
- Broadcom · 23 open roles · median 56 d
- Arm Holdings · 20 open roles · median 118 d
How we counted: 697 open Systems Software Engineering (Systems Software) roles from 73 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 21 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.