Principal Embedded Linux SW Engineer

A Career at HARMAN Automotive

We’re a global, multi-disciplinary team that’s putting the innovative power of technology to work and transforming tomorrow. At HARMAN Automotive, we give you the keys to fast-track your career.

• Engineer audio systems and integrated technology platforms that augment the driving experience
• Combine ingenuity, in-depth research, and a spirit of collaboration with design and engineering excellence
• Advance in-vehicle infotainment, safety, efficiency, and enjoyment
  
  

About The Role

Principal Embedded Linux SW engineer, part of the PQRS (Production & Qualification Readiness SW) team.

As an embedded Linux SW engineer, you will contribute to the creation of a lightweight Linux-based image used in various projects for high-end embedded automotive infotainment systems. Our beneficiaries are the main car makers worldwide.

You will be challenged to find solutions that blend both hardware and software worlds to reach an optimised and streamlined design between the systems and our internal customers’ requirements.

You will work on an ever-growing and ever-changing platform that will continue to evolve along with the cutting-edge tech used in Automotive. The nature of our platform gives you the chance of upgrading the existing model and challenging the status quo, as our objective is to always stay in front of the pack and develop on the latest technologies.

As a Principal Embedded Linux Software Engineer, you will contribute to the technical direction of our Linux-based platform, solving complex HW/SW challenges, supporting architectural decisions across multiple projects, and helping deliver scalable, reliable, high-performance solutions.

You will provide expert guidance, act as a technical reference, and tackle the most challenging problems to ensure robust PQRS deliverables.

At the same time, you will mentor engineers, foster a culture of technical excellence, and support the team's growth and evolution, enabling consistent, high-quality delivery.

What You Will Do

• SW architecture and design:
• Define and implement architectural concepts in collaboration with the team and subject matter experts, aiming to maximise the reusability of software components across projects (adopting a platform-based approach) and ensuring they meet the requirements for HW qualification, Manufacturing, and Field return analysis
• SW development:
• Develop, maintain, and improve the custom Linux distribution and associated services used for HW qualification, Manufacturing, and Field return analysis of infotainment systems
• Perform complex bring-up activities for new chipsets, boards, and peripherals (network switches, modems, BT/WiFi chips, A2B controllers) that require multi-domain understanding
• Problem resolution and exploratory work:
• Lead investigations for high-visibility or high-risk defects, ensuring deep root-cause understanding and thorough validation of the fix
• Identify systemic issues across multiple projects and propose structural improvements to avoid recurrence
• Provide support for debugging and troubleshooting issues encountered during development, HW qualification, Manufacturing, and Field return analysis phases. Follow through until the resolution is reached
• Tackle “first-of-kind” issues where no existing solution or reference exists
• Perform exploratory research on unscoped or ambiguous technical topics to determine feasibility before project commitments are made
• Documentation and code review:
• Create and maintain comprehensive documentation for the PQRS deliverables, including design documents, user manuals, coding standards, and development guidelines
• Ensure that documentation is accessible and understandable by team members and other stakeholders
• Conduct code reviews to ensure code quality, adherence to coding standards, and best practices
• Communication, cross-team collaboration and customer-facing:
• Effectively communicate project status, challenges, and solutions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Work closely with PQRS consumers, ensuring that PQRS deliverables meet all the internal requirements, testware limitations and automotive industry standards/certifications
• Serve as a trusted technical reference in discussions with internal and external customers, providing clear explanations for complex behaviour or limitations
• Mentoring, knowledge transfer, and team expansion
• Analyse newly requested features or domains with minimal documentation or prior knowledge and provide the foundation for other team members to continue work efficiently
• Mentor/onboard new team members, sharing deep knowledge of SW components, testware and bring-up best practices
• Provide informal training sessions, walkthroughs, and design discussions to raise the overall technical competence of the team or other internal and external stakeholders
• Continuous learning, innovation, and optimisation
• Stay updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices related to automotive infotainment systems
• Foster a culture of innovation within the team, encouraging the exploration of new technologies and methodologies
• Technical coordination and delivery
• Assign and prioritise work packages to ensure optimal team load balancing and adherence to deadlines
• Lead the creation of Technical Requirements Specifications (TRS) to bridge the gap between business needs and execution
• Oversee the end-to-end task lifecycle, ensuring traceability, clear communication and resolving delivery bottlenecks.
  

What You Need

• Extensive Linux expertise (Linux device model - system level, userspace interaction with devices, boot sequence)
• In-depth knowledge of the chips and/or platforms used in the automotive infotainment systems (at least one of the following: network switches, modems, BT/WiFi chips, A2B controllers)
• Ability to bring up automotive ECUs and domain-specific chips based on technical documentation (at least one of the following: network switches, modems, BT/WiFi chips, A2B controllers)
• Knowledge of low-level concepts (e.g., familiar with kernel, BSP, communication protocols - e.g., I2C, SPI)
• Understanding of embedded hardware schematics and concepts.
• 7+ years of experience as a software engineer and programming under Linux (e.g., developing embedded applications)
• Strong programming skills in the Python language
• Familiar with embedded programming and scripting languages
• Source control systems experience (preferably Git)
• Good English communication skills, both written and verbal
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or other relevant (IT-related) specialisations
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in building custom embedded Linux distributions (Yocto or similar)
• Familiarity with Python-based web frameworks (Django or FastAPI)
• Proficient with HW equipment
• Embedded systems hardware architecture knowledge
• Practical experience with SCRUM and AGILE methodologies
• Experience with Atlassian tools suite (JIRA, Confluence), MS ProjectPlanner, ALM
• Build Continuous Integration systems experience (preferably Jenkins or Bamboo)
  
  

Eligibility Requirements

• Willingness to travel (0-20% of time), depending on the project necessities.
• Availability to work both remotely (0-2 days/week) and from the office (3-5 days/week)
  
  

What We Offer

• Flexible work environment
• Access to employee discounts on world-class Harman and Samsung products (JBL, HARMAN Kardon, AKG, etc.)
• Extensive training opportunities through our own HARMAN University
• Competitive wellness benefits
• “Be Brilliant” employee recognition and rewards program
• An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development
  
  

You Belong Here

HARMAN is committed to making every employee feel welcomed, valued, and empowered. No matter what role you play, we encourage you to share your ideas, voice your distinct perspective, and bring your whole self with you – all within a support-minded culture that celebrates what makes each of us unique. We also recognize that learning is a lifelong pursuit and want you to flourish. We proudly offer added opportunities for training, development, and continuing education, further empowering you to live the career you want.

About HARMAN: Where Innovation Unleashes Next-Level Technology

Ever since the 1920s, we’ve been amplifying the sense of sound. Today, that legacy endures, with integrated technology platforms that make the world smarter, safer, and more connected.

Across automotive, lifestyle, and digital transformation solutions, we create innovative technologies that turn ordinary moments into extraordinary experiences. Our renowned automotive and lifestyle solutions can be found everywhere, from the music we play in our cars and homes to venues that feature today’s most sought-after performers, while our digital transformation solutions serve humanity by addressing the world’s ever-evolving needs and demands. Marketing our award-winning portfolio under 16 iconic brands, such as JBL, Mark Levinson, and Revel, we set ourselves apart by exceeding the highest engineering and design standards for our customers, our partners and each other.

If you’re ready to innovate and do work that makes a lasting impact, join our talent community today!

Important Notice: Recruitment Scams

Please be aware that HARMAN recruiters will always communicate with you from an '@harman.com', ‘@careers.harman.com’ or ‘harmanglobal.avature.net’ email address. We will never ask for payments, banking, credit card, personal financial information or access to your LinkedIn/email account during the screening, interview, or recruitment process. If you are asked for such information or receive communication from an email address not ending in one of the above email domains about a job with HARMAN, please cease communication immediately and report the incident to us through: [email protected].

HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. HARMAN strives to hire the best qualified candidates and is committed to building a workforce representative of the diverse marketplaces and communities of our global colleagues and customers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. HARMAN attracts, hires, and develops employees based on merit, qualifications and job-related performance.(www.harman.com)