Linux Application Engineer

HELLBENDER Inc.•Pittsburgh, PA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Linux Application Engineer at Hellbender, you will bridge the gap between high-level application software and the underlying Linux operating system. You will be responsible for developing robust applications in C/C++ or Python, maintaining system stability, and performing deep-dive investigations into system-level issues. The ideal candidate is a systems-thinker who can navigate the Linux ecosystem, troubleshoot complex interactions between hardware and software, and manage the data pipelines used for system observability and logging. While you will not be tasked with writing device drivers from scratch, you must have the expertise to identify driver-level failures and interface effectively with our kernel engineering teams.

Requirements

Strong experience in professional C/C++ development, including memory management, multi-threading, and concurrency primitives.
Deep understanding of the Linux user-space, including system calls, signals, IPC (Inter-Process Communication), and the Linux filesystem hierarchy.
Proficiency with Linux debugging tools.
Hands-on experience configuring Linux subsystems (networking, storage, permissions) and managing system initialization (e.g., systemd).
Proficiency in Bash or Python for automating system tasks, data processing, and log analysis.
Experience with Git and modern CI/CD workflows.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Rust and its integration within a Linux environment is a significant plus.
Experience with Yocto Project, Buildroot, or custom kernel configuration.
Experience managing large-scale logging data (e.g., ELK stack, Prometheus, or custom telemetry pipelines).
Experience with Docker or Podman for application isolation and deployment.
Familiarity with the ROS ecosystem is also helpful.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and maintain high-performance applications and services using C, C++ and Python within a Linux environment.
Investigate and diagnose complex issues occurring at the interface between user-space applications and the Linux kernel (e.g., analyzing interrupts, memory leaks, or I/O bottlenecks).
Identify and document driver-level bugs or regressions; work closely with hardware/kernel teams to provide reproducible test cases and logs for driver remediation.
Configure Linux environments, including boot parameters, systemd services, networking stacks, and resource management (cgroups/namespaces).
Implement, manage, and support robust logging frameworks to ensure high-quality telemetry and data collection from the field/test-bench.