Principal Software Engineer

Job Description Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Define and own the operating system roadmap and strategy for the Renesas RZ product family, including build‑vs‑buy decisions, internal development priorities, and partner‑driven ports.
• Oversee the enablement, porting, and up streaming of Linux, Zephyr RTOS, FreeRTOS, and Azure RTOS across the RZ SoC portfolio (e.g., RZ/G, RZ/V, RZ/A, RZ/T series).
• Drive the architecture, development, and maintenance of middleware components—including but not limited to graphics frameworks, networking stacks, security libraries, file systems, connectivity (Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth), motor control libraries, and multimedia codecs.
• Collaborate closely with SoC architects and hardware teams to ensure silicon designs are well‑supported by software, influencing decisions around IOMMU, DMA, interrupt controllers, boot ROM interfaces, and peripheral IP.
• Ensure robust Board Support Package (BSP) development, device tree enablement, and driver development across all supported operating systems.
• Lead upstream contribution strategies to Linux kernel, Zephyr Project, and other open‑source communities, maintaining active maintainer/contributor relationships.

• Own the software release process for RZ OS offerings, including version management, release notes, quality assurance gates, and customer‑facing documentation.
• Drive open‑source compliance practices, including license review, SBOM generation, and audit readiness.
• Manage requirement traceability from customer/market needs through implementation and validation.
• Partner with product marketing, field application engineers, and key customers to define requirements, prioritize features, and resolve escalated issues.

• Identify, establish, and manage relationships with external partners and vendors delivering OS ports, commercial support, or middleware components for RZ platforms.
• Represent Renesas in relevant industry consortia and open‑source foundations (e.g., Linux Foundation, Zephyr Project, Eclipse Foundation).
• Engage with strategic customers to understand use‑case requirements and ensure platform software meets market needs.

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent. Master's degree preferred.
• Experience: 15+ years of software engineering experience with progressively increasing responsibility, including 5+ years in a technical leadership role.
• Embedded OS Expertise: Deep hands‑on experience with at least two of the following:
  • Linux kernel development (driver development, BSP bring‑up, up streaming)
  • Zephyr RTOS (architecture, device driver model, subsystem contributions)
  • FreeRTOS (porting, configuration, middleware integration)
  • Azure RTOS (ThreadX, FileX, NetX Duo, USBX)
• Hardware/Software Interface: Strong understanding of ARM Cortex‑A and Cortex‑R/M architectures, SoC boot flows, JTAG/debug interfaces, memory‑mapped peripherals, and hardware datasheet interpretation.
• Middleware: Experience with embedded middleware including graphics (Wayland, LVGL), networking (TCP/IP, TLS), connectivity (Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi), storage, and security components.
• Open‑Source: Demonstrated track record of upstream contributions and compliance management (GPL/BSD/MIT/Apache licensing).
• Tools & Infrastructure: Proficiency with Git, Yocto/Open Embedded, Buildroot, Jenkins or equivalent build systems, and Docker/containerized build environments.

• Familiarity with functional safety standards (ISO 26262, IEC 61508) as applied to embedded software.
• Experience with AI/ML acceleration stacks on embedded processors (e.g., edge AI inference runtimes).
• Knowledge of motor control algorithms and real‑time control systems.
• Prior experience working with or within semiconductor companies on MPU/MCU software enablement.
• Active standing in open‑source communities (e.g., kernel maintainer, Zephyr contributor).
• Experience working with geographically distributed teams.

• Competitive salary, bonus, and equity participation.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Flexible work…