Software Engineer III, Kernel

Flock Safety

64d • $121,000 - $167,000

About The Position

Flock Safety is seeking a highly skilled Engineer to join our Device OS Team, a talented group at the core of our engineering efforts. This team is responsible for the entire software and firmware stack running on our extensive fleet of solar-powered devices, which are critical to our mission of capturing and transmitting millions of images and streaming video to the cloud daily. In this role, you’ll gain hands-on experience across a wide range of development activities — from low-level driver development and system bring-up to OS customizations and feature implementation. You’ll work closely with senior engineers, internal stakeholders, and external partners, building your expertise in embedded Linux and Android kernel development while contributing directly to the performance and reliability of our devices.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
• 2+ years of experience in embedded software development
• Practical experience working with embedded Linux or Android-based systems (academic, internship, or professional)
• Solid programming skills in C and C++
• Familiarity with Linux kernel or Android system architecture (drivers, build system, HALs)
• Understanding of peripheral bus technologies like SPI, I2C, UART
• Comfortable working in a Linux-based development environment, including Git and common build tools
• Willingness to provide onsite support for new projects at the Coop once or twice a year

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with bootloaders and early bring-up concepts
• Experience debugging low-level issues in Linux or Android
• Exposure to Qualcomm-based devices or other SoCs
• Interest in power-constrained devices and embedded performance tuning
• Experience with ARM Cortex microcontrollers (NRF5x, STM32x, etc.)

Responsibilities

• Learn the ins and outs of our embedded Linux/Android-based firmware architecture, development lifecycle, and toolchain
• Set up your development environment and build system
• Gain familiarity with our bootloader processes and basic system bring-up
• Connect with teammates and cross-functional partners, learning how different teams collaborate at Flock
• Contribute to early bug fixes, improvements, or driver-related tasks (e.g., peripheral drivers, system initialization, or power management)
• Participate in bootloader or kernel configuration tasks under the guidance of senior engineers
• Explore how our devices handle core OS functions like interrupts, memory usage, and resource monitoring
• Take ownership of well-scoped OS/BSP features or driver development tasks
• Analyze performance and stability in parts of the system you’ve contributed to, identifying opportunities for optimization
• Collaborate with the team on future roadmap discussions, bringing your perspective on improving device OS performance and reliability

Benefits

• Flexible PTO: We seriously mean it, plus 11 company holidays.
• Fully-paid health benefits plan for employees: including Medical, Dental, and Vision and an HSA match.
• Family Leave: All employees receive 12 weeks of 100% paid parental leave. Birthing parents are eligible for an additional 6-8 weeks of physical recovery time.
• Fertility & Family Benefits: We have partnered with Maven, a complete digital health benefit for starting and raising a family. In 2025, Flock will provide a $50,000-lifetime maximum benefit related to eligible adoption, surrogacy, or fertility expenses.
• Caregiver Support: We have partnered with Cariloop to provide our employees with caregiver support.
• Carta Tax Advisor: Employees receive 1:1 sessions with Equity Tax Advisors who can address individual grants, model tax scenarios, and answer general questions.
• ERGs: We want all employees to thrive and feel like they belong at Flock. We offer three ERGs today - Women of Flock, Flock Proud, and Melanin Motion.
• WFH Stipend: $150 per month to cover the costs of working from home.
• Productivity Stipend: $250 per year to use on Audible, Calm, Masterclass, Duolingo, Grammarly and so much more.
• Home Office Stipend: A one-time $750 to help you create your dream office.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees