Senior Embedded Software Engineer - RTOS

Latitude AI ( lat.ai ) develops automated driving technologies, including L3, for Ford vehicles at scale. We're driven by the opportunity to reimagine what it's like to drive and make travel safer, less stressful, and more enjoyable for everyone.

When you join the Latitude team, you'll work alongside leading experts across machine learning and robotics, cloud platforms, mapping, sensors and compute systems, test operations, systems and safety engineering – all dedicated to making a real, positive impact on the driving experience for millions of people.

As a Ford Motor Company subsidiary, we operate independently to develop automated driving technology at the speed of a technology startup. Latitude is headquartered in Pittsburgh with engineering centers in Dearborn, Mich., and Palo Alto, Calif.

Meet the team:

The Embedded Software team develops foundational platform software that is critical to development across the company. The team develops FreeRTOS, SafeRTOS, and bare metal environments for both QM and ASIL applications on a variety of embedded targets including ARM. Projects often impact all levels of the stack from the bootchain to applications and usually require cross-functional collaboration with other engineering teams. We have a strong passion for technical excellence and rigorous compliance with ASPICE and ISO26262.

What you'll do:

Drive the design and implementation of a centralized "source of truth" for system-level RTOS configurations, including DDR memory maps, UDMA channels, and peripheral assignments

Architect and configure MPU (Memory Protection Unit) and hardware firewalls

to ensure "Freedom from Interference" (FFI) between safety-critical (ASIL) and non-safety (QM) tasks

Lead the setup and evolution of the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) and low-level drivers. Your goal is to create a common area for driver logic that scales across different projects and platforms

Take broad responsibility for core SoC integration modules, ensuring they are architected for long-term maintainability and testability

Profile and optimize low-level bus traffic and memory access patterns (DDR, DMA) to minimize latency and maximize throughput for real-time control loops

Consistently perform deep-dive code reviews. Ensure that PRs are simple, bug-free, and adhere to a unified architectural vision to prevent "reinventing the wheel"

Serve as the SME for hardware-software interfaces. Navigate ambiguity in hardware requirements and mediate disagreements in technical approaches through evidence-based influence

What you'll need to succeed:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics or a related field and 4+ years of relevant experience (or Master's degree and 2+ years of relevant experience, or PhD)

Experience in embedded C/C++ with a deep understanding of advanced language features and design paradigms

Proven expertise in ARM-based SoC architectures, including deep knowledge of memory-mapped I/O, DMA controllers (UDMA), and DDR bus configurations

Direct experience configuring MPUs and hardware-level firewalls to enforce spatial and temporal isolation in a multi-core environment

Experience building or significantly refactoring Hardware Abstraction Layers (HAL) to support multiple hardware targets or RTOS environments

Ability to root-cause complex system hangs and race conditions involving shared memory and hardware peripherals without supervision

Ability to see potential pitfalls in low-level designs (e.g., bus contention, MPU misconfigurations) and express designs in sufficient detail for rapid implementation

Expert-level use of JTAG, Tracealyzer, and logic analyzers to verify low-level hardware-software interactions

Nice to have:

Experience with ISO 26262 safety-critical development and the "Freedom from Interference" (FFI) requirements for ASIL systems

Familiarity with Automotive Ethernet, UDS, or SOME/IP

Expertise in Linux-based software development and related technologies including gtests, Python, Bazel, and Docker

Experience representing a team as a domain expert to silicon vendors or partner organizations

What we offer you:

Competitive compensation packages

High-quality individual and family medical, dental, and vision insurance

Health savings account with available employer match

Employer-matched 401(k) retirement plan with immediate vesting

Employer-paid group term life insurance and the option to elect voluntary life insurance

Paid parental leave

Paid medical leave

Unlimited vacation

15 paid holidays

Daily lunches, snacks, and beverages available in all office locations

Pre-tax spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

Pre-tax commuter benefits

Monthly wellness stipend

Adoption/Surrogacy support program

Backup child and elder care program

Professional development reimbursement

Employee assistance program

Discounted programs that include legal services, identity theft protection, pet insurance, and more

Company and team bonding outlets: employee resource groups, quarterly team activity stipend, and wellness initiatives

Learn more about Latitude's team, mission and career opportunities at lat.ai !

The expected base salary range for this full-time position in California is $179,200 - $268,800 USD. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors, including exact work location, experience, relevant training and education, and skill level. Latitude employees are also eligible to participate in Latitude's annual bonus programs, equity compensation, and generous Company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements.

Candidates for positions with Latitude AI must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is available for this position.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status.

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