Senior Software Engineer - Operating Systems

About the role

Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy.

Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo.

We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that full-time employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments. This in-office expectation does not apply to contractor positions

About the Role

The NextGen OS team is focused on building Applied Intuition's operating system (OS) stack for future vehicles and new products. This is a unique opportunity to build and work on a new full-stack operating system.

As a Software Engineer on the team, you will develop, design, and implement core OS components including: kernel, system services, runtime, application framework, BSPs, and hardware abstraction layers. As an early hire, you will contribute to key architectural and implementation decisions, directly influencing how this OS is built.

At Applied Intuition, You Will

• Define the overall architecture and roadmap of the operating system
• Engage closely with existing open-source projects, become a committer, and submit RFCs
• Write and review foundational, performance-critical code across core OS components
• Lead implementation of critical system features such as interprocess communication, memory management, security sandboxing, networking, and power/performance
• Collaborate closely with hardware partners and OEMs to define BSP, HAL, device drivers, and integration strategies
• Advocate open-source culture and engage with the Open Source Project community

We're Looking for Someone Who Has

• 6+ years of software development experience (emphasis on low-level systems or OS development)
• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or a related field
• Deep expertise in C/C++
• Experience on Unix/Linux kernels or embedded systems
• Experience with performance optimization, memory management, threading, and concurrency
• Proven experience designing and shipping large-scale software or systems
• Demonstrated leadership in shaping technical direction and mentoring engineers
• Familiarity with open-source processes and tools, source control, and distributed code bases

Nice to Have

• Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science or related field.
• Experience working with OEMs, device drivers, or hardware integration (e.g. ARM chipset, cellular modem interfaces).
• Strong background in security and sandboxing models
• Demonstrated ability working in small, fast-moving cross-functional teams and/or startups
• Published contributions to open-source OS projects or kernel subsystems.

Pay and benefits

Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.

Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

For Us-based Roles

Applied Intuition is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive application and interview experience to applicants who are disabled veterans and other applicants with disabilities or medical conditions. If you require an accommodation please contact. We will work with you!