Software Engineer, Linux Kernel / Android

The posting, as Rivet Industries wrote it

About Rivet
Rivet is an American company building integrated task systems — fusing hardened hardware with software, sensors, AI, and networking — for industrial workforces and defense personnel. We create capabilities that multiply the effectiveness of every individual and withstand the world’s toughest environments.

We serve the people who build, operate, maintain, and defend our way of life. From technicians and engineers to first responders and service members, they embody the hard work, ingenuity, and meritocratic values that drive Western prosperity. Yet too often they are forced to rely on outdated tools that fail under modern pressures. Rivet exists to reset that priority.

At Rivet, you’ll join a mission-driven team that fuses disciplines to deliver decisive outcomes where they matter most. Whether shaping our technology, strengthening our partnerships, or building our culture, every role here contributes to equipping the front lines with the modern systems they deserve.

Work Authorization Requirement: Due to the nature of our business and compliance with federal regulations, all candidates must be a "U.S. Person". Upon hire, you will be required to provide documentation verifying your status as a U.S. Citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or a protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Summary

As a Software Engineer, Linux Kernel / Android, you'll work at the intersection of software and hardware to build and maintain the low-level platform stack that powers Rivet's body-worn and field-deployed devices — including our AR/XR soldier systems, which combine real-time sensor fusion (cameras, IMUs, depth sensors) with a display and compute pipeline running on Android and embedded Linux. You'll focus on the kernel, BSP, AOSP, HALs, drivers, and board bring-up that make that pipeline reliable, secure, and power-efficient enough to run all day on a warfighter's body.

You'll work closely with hardware, electrical, and sensor-fusion/AR software engineers to integrate new hardware, debug issues across the full system stack, and deliver platform software that holds up under the SWaP, thermal, and ruggedization constraints of field-deployed defense hardware. This is a hands-on individual contributor role with ownership over meaningful pieces of the platform.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain system-level software across Android and Linux, with a focus on the kernel, BSP, AOSP, HALs, and device drivers.
• Customize and integrate AOSP for custom hardware platforms, including framework, system-level, and camera/display HAL components that feed our sensor-fusion and AR pipeline.
• Bring up new hardware and peripherals, working closely with electrical and hardware engineers to debug issues across the hardware/software boundary.
• Configure, build, and maintain Linux kernels and Android system images for power- and thermally-constrained, body-worn embedded devices.
• Develop and maintain board support packages, device c

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• Ability to diagnose complex system-level issues using logs, traces, debuggers, and hardware instrumentation.
• Familiarity with embedded software testing and hardware-in-the-loop or system integration testing.
• Working knowledge of secure boot, system integrity, and other platform security mechanisms — required given the defense-grade nature of our hardware.
• Comfortable working in a highly collaborative environment with engineers across software, electrical, mechanical, and systems disciplines.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance, if required for the role.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with ARM-based SoCs and embedded computing platforms.
• Experience with bootloaders such as U-Boot or Android Bootloader.
• Experience with Yocto, Buildroot, Bazel, Soong, or other embedded/system build environments.
• Familiarity with OTA updates, secure boot chains, TPMs, verified boot, or platform hardening.
• Experience developing software for resource-constrained, body-worn, or wearable devices with power, thermal, memory, or compute limitations.
• Experience working on safety-critical, high-assurance, defense, aerospace, or other demanding embedded systems.
• Experience with camera, display, or sensor pipelines feeding AR/XR or spatial-computing applications.
• Active security clearance.

Compensation may vary within the posted range based on relevant experience, skills, education, and other job-related factors. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for equity and other forms of compensation. Eligible employees also receive a competitive benefits package, including unlimited PTO.

Rivet is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law. Certain roles may require U.S. Person status, security clearance eligibility, or other requirements imposed by law or government contract.