Linux Device Driver Development Engineer

Location

Bangalore, India

Work Mode

Work From Office – 5 Days a Week

Face-to-Face (F2F) Interview is Mandatory

Job Summary

We are looking for an experienced Linux Device Driver Development Engineer with strong expertise in embedded systems, Linux kernel internals, and hardware-software integration. The candidate will be responsible for developing, customizing, debugging, and maintaining Linux platform software and device drivers for custom hardware based on embedded SoCs. This role requires hands-on board bring-up, low-level debugging, and close collaboration with hardware, systems, and application teams in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, customize, and maintain Linux device drivers and platform software for embedded SoC–based systems.
• Work on BSP and platform software development for custom hardware platforms.
• Perform board bring-up activities , including bootloader configuration and early kernel initialization.
• Develop and validate Bare-Metal and Linux drivers , performing hardware-software validation using lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG-based debuggers .
• Drive bootloader development/customization (U-Boot or equivalent), including power-on boot sequence and low-level initialization.
• Debug complex system-level issues across bootloader, kernel, drivers, and hardware layers .
• Understand and interpret board schematics, datasheets, and hardware reference manuals to support driver development and integration.
• Work on kernel upgrades, driver porting, upstreaming, and component integration .
• Develop and customize drivers for peripherals such as GPIO, SPI, I2C, UART, Sensors, NAND, NOR, eMMC, DDR , etc.
• Contribute to Linux kernel subsystems , including scheduler, memory management, IPC, DMA, IOMMU, interrupt handling, polling mechanisms, and NAPI.
• Develop and debug Linux platform drivers for components such as PCIe, Ethernet, USB, GPU, Display, and Multimedia subsystems .
• Handle system-level debugging , issue isolation, and root-cause analysis involving kernel crashes, performance bottlenecks, and hardware-related failures.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless hardware–software integration .
• Produce high-quality, maintainable, and well-documented code following best practices.

Required Skills & Qualifications

Core Technical Skills

• Strong proficiency in C programming for kernel and system-level development.
• In-depth knowledge of Linux kernel internals and device driver architecture.
• Hands-on experience with Linux Device Driver Development .
• Strong understanding of ARM and x86 processor architectures .
• Deep knowledge of multi-core architectures, NUMA, and memory hierarchies .
• Experience with concurrent programming , threading APIs, and synchronization mechanisms.
• Strong understanding of operating system concepts (Linux and/or RTOS).

Embedded & Hardware Expertise

• Experience working with embedded SoCs and Microcontrollers .
• Hands-on board bring-up experience with custom hardware .
• Strong debugging skills using JTAG/J-Link and other hardware debuggers .
• Ability to validate software using hardware test equipment .

Kernel & System Knowledge

• Experience with:
• Linux kernel modules
• Interrupt architecture and event handling
• DMA, IOMMU, IPC mechanisms
• PCIe subsystem and drivers
• Networking and Ethernet stack
• Familiarity with Yocto-based projects or Buildroot .
• Experience in kernel upgradation, driver porting, and upstreaming .

Desired / Added Advantages

• Hands-on experience with OpenGL and OpenCL .
• Exposure to GPU, Multimedia, and Display driver development .
• Experience in system performance tuning and optimization .
• Familiarity with RTOS environments in addition to Linux.

Tools & Development Environment

• Debuggers and profiling tools
• Version control systems such as Git / GitHub
• Linux kernel debugging and tracing tools

Soft Skills

• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities
• Ability to work independently and in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment
• High attention to detail and commitment to code quality