Principal Linux​/Android Platform Developer

• Location:Just north of Cambridge, UK
• Salary:Up to £70k
• Fully office-based (5 days/week)

We are working with a highly innovative engineering organisation operating at the forefront of secure communications technology. Their products deliver mission‑critical connectivity solutions used globally across public safety, defence, transport, utilities and commercial sectors.

They are now seeking a Principal Linux / Android Platform Engineer to join their expanding Software Team, contributing to the next generation of broadband‑enabled devices built on advanced Android and Linux‑based platforms.

This is a true Android platform engineering role
, focused on AOSP, Linux kernel and low‑level system development rather than application development. You will play a key role in the development, configuration & optimisation of the Android platform
, working deep within the Android framework and underlying Linux system layers.

Key areas of responsibility include:

• Android platform development and AOSP customisation.
• Linux kernel configuration, tuning and performance optimisation.
• Scheduler tuning, latency reduction and power management improvements.
• Modifying Android framework services and system components.
• Working within large‑scale codebases using Git (branching, merging, upstream integration).
• Integration of open‑source tools for debugging, profiling and performance analysis.
• Development of system‑level C++ components in real‑time, multi‑threaded environments.
• Supporting integration testing, issue investigation and root cause analysis.
• Producing design documentation and contributing to architectural decisions.
• Collaborating in agile scrum teams on mission‑critical product development.

Essential:

• Strong understanding of Android architecture and AOSP internals
  .
• Solid background in Linux system programming and/or kernel development
  .
• Experience optimising Linux/Android systems (performance, power, latency).
• Proficiency in C++ in embedded, real‑time, multi‑threaded environments
  .
• Experience with Android framework components such as Binder, AIDL, System Services (C++/Java), Framework APIs, NDK/JNI, SELinux, CTS
  .
• Experience working with mobile or embedded Linux platforms.
• Strong familiarity with debugging and profiling tools (memory, performance, code coverage, leak detection).
• Structured engineering approach with an understanding of software quality processes.

Nice to Have:

• Experience with Linux open‑source configuration and patch management.
• Exposure to hardware teams (schematics, oscilloscopes, logic analysers).
• Background in ruggedised devices, secure communications or embedded consumer electronics.

• Highly collaborative, engineering‑led organisation.
• Stable, long‑term team with strong technical leadership.
• Agile scrum‑based delivery model.
• Focus on building robust, mission‑critical systems used in demanding environments.
• Strong emphasis on in‑office collaboration (5 days per week).

Either:

You’ll thrive here if you enjoy deep technical work, system‑level problem solving and building software that operates close to the hardware in high‑reliability environments.