Staff Embedded Software Engineer - 5G Devices & NTN Connectivity

Viasat, Inc. • Carlsbad, CA

20h

About The Position

Viasat’s Access Edge Terminal Software team develops embedded software for connectivity solutions serving aviation, maritime, residential, automotive, and emerging mobility markets. The Staff Embedded Software Engineer will architect and develop software platforms for 5G User Equipment (UE) and Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), combining 5G technologies with satellite communications to deliver hybrid connectivity.

The role focuses on device-side software architecture and development, embedded Linux, modem integration, and platform design. The engineer will work with chipset vendors, hardware teams, product stakeholders, OEMs, and ODMs to deliver next-generation connected devices. The position is focused on UE, client-side, and CPE development, rather than RAN or 5G Core infrastructure.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• At least 8 years of experience developing embedded software for wireless communication devices.
• Proven record of delivering commercial 5G UE or CPE products.
• Familiarity with 5G device architecture, including RF, baseband, and application processor subsystems.
• Hands-on experience integrating 5G modem chipsets from vendors such as Qualcomm, MediaTek, Intel, or Samsung.
• Knowledge of 3GPP UE protocol stacks, including NAS, SDAP, RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC, and PHY layers, from a device perspective.
• Familiarity with 5G NR procedures, MIMO technologies, carrier aggregation, and device performance optimization.
• Familiarity with regulatory and certification requirements, including FCC, CE, and carrier approvals.
• Proficiency in C/C++ for embedded and system-level programming.
• Strong experience with Linux kernel development, device driver implementation, and kernel module debugging.
• Solid understanding of PCIe, USB, SDIO, SPI, I2C, GPIO, and related hardware interfaces.
• Experience with Android BSP development and/or embedded Linux distributions such as Yocto and Buildroot.
• Proven expertise developing Linux kernel drivers.
• Ability to debug kernel-level issues using tools such as ftrace, perf, crash analysis tools, and JTAG debuggers.
• Knowledge of device tree, ACPI, and platform initialization methodologies.
• Ability to design modular, maintainable, and scalable software architectures.
• Experience building SDKs, reference platforms, or software frameworks used by external partners.
• Strong technical documentation skills, including architecture specifications, API documentation, and design proposals.
• Deep understanding of software design patterns, abstraction techniques, and interface design principles.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills for diagnosing complex hardware-software interactions.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills across engineering teams, chipset vendors, and external partners.
• Experience working in Agile development environments.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement modular software architectures and reusable components for devices operating on Viasat satellite and NTN networks.
• Develop hardware abstraction layers, middleware, platform services, scalable software frameworks, and robust APIs.
• Integrate 5G modems and develop software for modem initialization, configuration, power management, diagnostics, and runtime operation.
• Develop and maintain Linux kernel drivers for modem interfaces including PCIe, USB, SDIO, and UART.
• Customize vendor Board Support Packages to meet hardware and product requirements.
• Troubleshoot hardware-software integration issues and optimize latency, throughput, power efficiency, reliability, and stability.
• Design and maintain reference software architectures for OEM and ODM partners.
• Create SDKs with software libraries, sample applications, documentation, and development tools.
• Develop reference implementations and provide technical guidance to external development partners.
• Ensure reference platforms align with industry standards and evolving ecosystem requirements while supporting partner and market needs.
• Collaborate with hardware and systems engineering teams on device architectures and software-hardware interfaces.
• Develop automated test frameworks and validation solutions; profile, analyze, and optimize software performance.
• Support field trials, customer deployments, and production issue resolution.
• Work with chipset vendor field application engineers and technical specialists to resolve integration challenges.
• Collaborate with product management and application development teams to translate requirements into scalable technical solutions.
• Mentor engineers in embedded systems, 5G device technologies, Linux development, and software engineering practices.

Benefits

• Medical, financial, and other benefits focused on holistic health and wellness.
• Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package.

What This Job Offers

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