Staff Camera Software Engineer

Ford Motor Company

Staff Camera Software Engineer owning Linux camera/ISP stack for Ford's electric vehicle transitions. Engaging in Linux kernel development and cross-team technical leadership.

Posted 7/30/2026full-timePalo Alto • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $150,200 - $283,500 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Expertise in Linux Kernel Driver Development and Embedded Systems, with a strong focus on V4L2 Media Pipeline Implementation and Kernel-Space Debugging. Proven ability to lead technical direction, mentor engineers, and ensure production-grade reliability in complex camera/ISP architectures.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Linux Kernel Driver DevelopmentC Programming in Kernel SpaceV4L2 Media Stack ExperienceEmbedded Systems ExperienceTechnical Leadership

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

C ProgrammingKernel-Space DebuggingV4L2 IoctlsDMA-BUF HandlingMIPI CSI-2 Sensor Bring-UpMemory ManagementLocking PrimitivesInterrupt HandlingPower ManagementFirmware Command/Response Integration

Soft Skills

Mentoring EngineersCross-Team AlignmentTechnical Direction Setting

Tools & Technologies

GDBFtraceLockdep

Certifications & Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science

Industry Keywords

Embedded SystemsAutomotive-Grade Reliability StandardsISO 26262Kernel Debugging ToolsUpstream Linux Kernel Contributions

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Linux

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Take ownership of a Linux camera/ISP stack centered on the chipset vendor's ISP architecture.
Work on V4L2 media pipeline implementation, firmware command/response integration, DMA-BUF and GPU-shared memory handling, sensor/CSI bring-up, and production-grade reliability fixes.
Engage in deep kernel-space debugging, concurrency management, and hardware-software co-design.
Serve as a technical leader setting architectural direction, mentoring engineers, and driving cross-team alignment on the camera/ISP roadmap.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
10+ years of embedded systems experience, with a minimum of 5 years dedicated to Linux kernel driver development.
Expert-level C programming in kernel space, including memory management, locking primitives (mutexes, spinlocks, RCU), workqueues, and interrupt handling.
Production-level experience with the Linux media stack (V4L2 ioctls, Media Controller entities, and videobuf2).
Hands-on experience with MIPI CSI-2 sensor and ISP bring-up.
Strong knowledge of DMA-BUF, scatter-gather mapping, cache coherency, and kernel debugging tools (GDB, ftrace, lockdep).
Solid understanding of Linux power management (runtime PM and suspend/resume).
Familiarity with vendor-specific GPU driver stacks, TTM memory models, and firmware mailbox protocols is a plus.
Experience with automotive-grade reliability standards (such as ISO 26262) is a plus.
A track record of active contributions to the upstream Linux kernel is a plus.
Demonstrated ability to set technical direction and long-term architecture strategy for a complex subsystem, balancing near-term delivery with future scalability is a plus.
A track record of mentoring and elevating engineers, fostering strong engineering practices, and acting as a trusted technical voice across teams and with external partners is a plus.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
Tuition assistance
Established and active employee resource groups
Paid time off for individual and team community service
A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.