> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/3056931-staff-level-engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/3056931-staff-level-engineer). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # staff-level engineer - **Company:** Ford Motor Company - **Location:** United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $150,200.0 - $283,500.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** C (Programming Language), Code Review, Software Debugging, Linux, Device Drivers, Memory Management, Firmware, Kernel Debuggers, Linux Kernel, Memory Leaks, Datadog, Information Technology - **Published:** September 24, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.thejobnetwork.com/job/staff-camera-software-engineer-509977015 ## About the Role You'll have... 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). Even better, you may have... Familiarity with vendor-specific GPU driver stacks, TTM memory models, and firmware mailbox protocols. Experience with automotive-grade reliability standards (such as ISO 26262). A track record of active contributions to the upstream Linux kernel. Demonstrated ability to set technical direction and long-term architecture strategy for a complex subsystem, balancing near-term delivery with future scalability. 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. ## Description As a Staff Camera Software Engineer, you will take ownership of a Linux camera/ISP stack centered on the chipset vendor's ISP architecture. Your work will span V4L2 media pipeline implementation, firmware command/response integration, DMA-BUF and GPU-shared memory handling, sensor/CSI bring-up, and production-grade reliability fixes. This is a hands-on development role requiring deep kernel-space debugging, concurrency management, and hardware-software co-design. As a staff-level engineer, you will also serve as a technical leader setting architectural direction, mentoring engineers, and driving cross-team alignment on the camera/ISP roadmap. Responsibilities What you'll do... Develop and maintain Linux kernel camera and ISP drivers utilizing V4L2, the Media Controller framework, and videobuf2 (vb2). Integrate and debug MIPI CSI-2 sensors and image pipelines to ensure optimal routing for preview, video, and Zero Shutter Lag (ZSL) paths. Implement and maintain robust firmware interfaces, managing command/response queues, interrupt processing, and work-thread synchronization. Manage the buffer lifecycle using MMAP, DMA-BUF import/export, zero-copy mechanisms, and fence signaling to minimize latency. Drive power management initiatives, including suspend/resume, runtime PM, and clock/power sequencing robustness for camera hardware subsystems. Diagnose and resolve complex kernel-space issues such as race conditions, memory leaks, deadlocks, and frame pipeline regressions. Build debug and observability tooling using debugfs, sysfs, ftrace tracepoints, custom counters, and system health metrics. Maintain high code quality through rigorous code reviews and technical documentation while collaborating closely with chipset vendors/silicon partners, camera sensor manufacturers, and user-space camera framework teams. ## Related Videos - [The best of two worlds - Bringing enterprise-grade Linux to the vehicle](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/67-the-best-of-two-worlds-bringing-enterprise-grade-linux-to-the-vehicle) - [Playing Pong on a shoulder press machine](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100140-playing-pong-on-a-shoulder-press-machine) - [Docker network without Docker](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1418-docker-network-without-docker) - [Debugging in the Dark](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1658-debugging-in-the-dark) - [A Hitchhikers Guide to Container Security - Automotive Edition 2024](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1119-a-hitchhikers-guide-to-container-security-automotive-edition-2024) - [For the Cars and the Curious: Android Drift](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/499-for-the-cars-and-the-curious-android-drift) ## Related Articles - [How software is steering vehicle technology](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/515-how-software-is-steering-vehicle-technology) - [What’s the Difference between a Junior, Mid, and Senior Developer?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/238-what-s-the-difference-between-a-junior-mid-and-senior-developer) - [Is Software Engineering Hard?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/448-is-software-engineering-hard) - [Software Engineer Career: Things You Should Know](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/143-software-engineer-career-things-you-should-know) - [Where to Find Entry-Level Software Engineering Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/397-where-to-find-entry-level-software-engineering-jobs) - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers)