Senior Yocto Build Engineer

Ford • Palo Alto, CA

1d • $138,800 - $232,700 • Hybrid

About The Position

This role involves designing, implementing, and maintaining Yocto/OpenEmbedded build systems for automotive and embedded Linux platforms. The engineer will create and optimize layer stacks, recipes, machine configurations, distro policies, and image definitions for production targets. Responsibilities include developing and maintaining BSP integrations, SDK generation, and cross-toolchain setups for multiple hardware architectures and target boards. The role requires collaboration with stakeholders to gather requirements and translate them into scalable embedded build system improvements that support quality, security, and delivery speed. The engineer will drive architectural decisions for build reproducibility, layered customization, dependency management, and image composition strategies. Additionally, they will develop and maintain automation tools, scripts, and internal build frameworks to streamline image builds, testing, and release workflows. Managing build infrastructure, including local and CI-based Yocto builds, sstate caching, shared downloads, and artifact retention strategies, is also a key part of the role. Implementing security practices for embedded builds, such as signed artifacts, vulnerability scanning, SBOM generation, and compliance with manufacturing requirements, is crucial. Ensuring compliance with automotive industry standards and regulatory requirements while supporting embedded software development across multiple target platforms is expected. The role involves documenting build architecture, layer structure, image definitions, and operational procedures for engineering teams and release stakeholders. Providing support for build-related incidents, performance issues, recipe failures, and release blockers across development and validation environments is required. Establishing build metrics, KPIs, and dashboards to monitor build health, throughput, and developer productivity is also part of the responsibilities. Optimizing Yocto build performance through layer cleanup, incremental build tuning, cache strategy adjustments, and dependency pruning is expected. The engineer will work with third-party vendors, silicon partners, and platform teams to integrate BSPs, toolchains, and software modules into the release pipeline. Driving adoption of Yocto best practices across development teams and mentoring engineers on embedded Linux build workflows, automation, and debugging is a key aspect. Finally, the role involves providing technical leadership as a senior IC, helping shape the roadmap for embedded Linux build infrastructure, toolchain evolution, and software delivery.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, STEM, or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience with Yocto Project and OpenEmbedded build systems.
• Strong experience developing and maintaining layers, recipes, machine files, distro configurations, and image builds for Linux-based embedded systems.
• Expert-level understanding of Git and version control strategies, including branching, release management, and layered software integration.
• Deep knowledge of Linux internals, cross-compilation, toolchains, and embedded software packaging workflows.
• Experience with C/C++ development and toolchain customization for embedded systems.
• Scripting experience in Python and Bash.
• Experience with containerization technologies and tools such as Docker, Podman, and Buildah.
• Strong understanding of build security practices, artifact signing, reproducibility, and vulnerability scanning for embedded systems.
• Experience with build performance optimization, observability, and metrics collection for large-scale Yocto environments.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Computer Science or other STEM focus areas with prior experience as an embedded software developer.
• Experience with AOSP build system and Android repo workflows.
• Experience with Bazel, CMake, or other build systems in a mixed-language embedded environment.
• Experience with automotive ECUs, Linux-based compute platforms, or multiple target architectures.
• Programming experience in Rust and Cargo, including integrating Rust components into embedded Linux product stacks.
• Experience with BSP maintenance, kernel customization, bootloader integration, and device tree updates.
• Knowledge of automotive industry standards, including ISO 26262 and ASPICE.
• Familiarity with regulatory compliance requirements for embedded systems.
• Experience with vulnerability scanning and security tooling in software supply chains.
• Experience with artifact management, release pipelines, and software factory automation.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain Yocto/OpenEmbedded build systems for automotive and embedded Linux platforms.
• Create and optimize layer stacks, recipes, machine configurations, distro policies, and image definitions for production targets.
• Develop and maintain BSP integrations, SDK generation, and cross-toolchain setups for multiple hardware architectures and target boards.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to gather requirements and translate them into scalable embedded build system improvements that support quality, security, and delivery speed.
• Drive architectural decisions for build reproducibility, layered customization, dependency management, and image composition strategies.
• Develop and maintain automation tools, scripts, and internal build frameworks to streamline image builds, testing, and release workflows.
• Manage build infrastructure, including local and CI-based Yocto builds, sstate caching, shared downloads, and artifact retention strategies.
• Implement security practices for embedded builds, including signed artifacts, vulnerability scanning, SBOM generation, and compliance with manufacturing requirements.
• Ensure compliance with automotive industry standards and regulatory requirements while supporting embedded software development across multiple target platforms.
• Document build architecture, layer structure, image definitions, and operational procedures for engineering teams and release stakeholders.
• Provide support for build-related incidents, performance issues, recipe failures, and release blockers across development and validation environments.
• Establish build metrics, KPIs, and dashboards to monitor build health, throughput, and developer productivity.
• Optimize Yocto build performance through layer cleanup, incremental build tuning, cache strategy adjustments, and dependency pruning.
• Work with third-party vendors, silicon partners, and platform teams to integrate BSPs, toolchains, and software modules into the release pipeline.
• Drive adoption of Yocto best practices across development teams and mentor engineers on embedded Linux build workflows, automation, and debugging.
• Provide technical leadership as a senior IC, helping shape the roadmap for embedded Linux build infrastructure, toolchain evolution, and software delivery.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior