Embedded Linux Engineer

WAC Group is seeking a Embedded Linux Engineer to own the on-premises appliance platform for the commercial smart lighting product line. This is a hands-on engineering role: you will design, build, and ship the appliance stack, zero-touch provisioning infrastructure, and OTA update systems that run-in customer facilities ranging from open to air gapped solutions. The ideal candidate combines deep Linux and edge systems expertise with working knowledge of AWS cloud services used to provision, manage, and connect deployed appliances at scale., * Design and maintain the appliance stack - Docker Compose deployment, systemd services, containerized MQTT broker, local Postgres, OIDC auth sidecar, and WireGuard/Relay integration for zero-friction site deployment.

• Own Linux distribution strategy - Debian/Ubuntu base OS, and unattended security updates.
• Build and maintain VM appliance images (OVA, QCOW2, VHDX) for Tier 1 site distribution.
• Architect and implement zero-touch provisioning - device identity (serial + certificate), provisioning service integration, and automatic vpn setup. Controllers must boot-to-claimed with zero manual configuration.
• Design and own the OTA update pipeline - signed manifest validation, atomic container updates, health-check-gated rollback strategies, and offline update paths via signed USB bundle for air-gapped deployments.
• Partner with firmware, mobile, and cloud teams to define the appliance API surface, deployment contracts, and integration patterns between the on-premises console and Cloud Portal.
• Evaluate and standardize the AWS cloud services used in the provisioning, relay, and management plane - including Fargate, Aurora, Cognito, and ECR - to meet performance, reliability, and cost targets.
• Design and maintain monitoring and alerting for site health - heartbeat telemetry, update status reporting, and local diagnostics accessible to non-technical installers and customer IT staff.
• Triage and resolve production issues related to device provisioning, updates, local connectivity, VPN tunnels, and on-premises infrastructure - prioritizing based on customer impact and SLA commitments.

Critical Success Factors:

• Customer-Centered Execution Communicates complex technical concepts clearly, builds trust with customers and partners, and delivers solutions that meet real-world performance.

• Technical Excellence & Rigor - Sets and enforces high standards for scalability, observability, security, and operational discipline. “Good enough” is not sufficient.
• Systems Thinking & Intellectual Curiosity - Understands the full IoT ecosystem and anticipates downstream impacts. Continuously evaluates emerging technologies and architectural trade-offs.
• End-to-End Ownership - Takes full accountability for the appliance platform’s architecture, reliability, security, and performance - proactively identifying risks and driving resolution across both on-premises and cloud tiers.
• Cross-Functional Leadership - Aligns firmware, application, cloud, and product teams around cohesive architectural decisions that serve both technical and business objectives.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience. 7+ years of software engineering experience, including 4+ years building and operating edge/appliance systems or production Linux infrastructure.
• Expert-level Linux systems administration - Debian/Ubuntu, systems, apt/dpkg packaging, firewall configuration (UFW/iptables), and automated OS provisioning (preseed, cloud-init).
• Proven experience with Docker and Docker Compose - service dependency management, container image optimization, health checks, and fleet-wide update strategies.
• Strong proficiency in Go (primary language for Controller API and supervisor binaries) and Bash/shell scripting; Python and Node.js/TypeScript a plus.
• Hands-on experience with networking fundamentals - WireGuard, mDNS, DHCP, MQTT (EMQX or Mosquitto), and NAT traversal.
• Working knowledge of AWS services relevant to IoT and edge deployments - Cognito, Fargate (ECS), Aurora/RDS, S3, Route 53, ECR, and IoT Core (or equivalent device provisioning infrastructure).
• Experience with VM image creation (Packer, cloud-init) and multi-format appliance distribution (OVA, QCOW2, VHDX).
• Familiarity with PKI and device certificate infrastructure - TLS client certificates, certificate authorities (step-ca or AWS Private CA), and key rotation strategies.
• Experience with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform or CloudFormation), CI/CD pipeline design, and automated deployment strategies.
• Hands-on experience with observability tooling (CloudWatch, Prometheus, Grafana, or equivalent).
• Strong understanding of security best practices - identity and access management, encryption at rest and in transit, and vulnerability mitigation for edge-deployed systems.
• Mandarin language proficiency is a plus.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.

We recognize people as our most valuable asset. Our competitive salary and benefits package includes: paid time off; medical & dental coverage (including family coverage), vision, life, 401(k); tuition assistance; and continuous training and development. For immediate consideration, please submit your resume as directed. Due to the high volume of applications, only candidates who meet the qualifications will be contacted.