Lead Embedded Systems Engineer

Location: Onsite — Austin, TX

Employment Type: Direct Hire, Full‑Time

Job Title: Staff Embedded Engineer (BSP)

About 9 Mothers

The modern battlefield has changed. Cheap, autonomous suicide drones have turned the tactical advantage upside down, and the world is looking for a solution. At 9 Mothers, we aren’t just "innovating"—we are building the shield.

Backed by top-tier investors, we develop AI powered machines designed to intercept and neutralize Group 1/sUAS threats in real-time. Our flagship product is a low-power, counter-drone system built for the edge—on vehicles, at bases, or in a soldier's pack.

Why 9 Mothers?

While others build for "awareness" or "long-term research," we build for the immediate survival of those in harm’s way. We are a team of hackers, engineers, and mission-driven builders who value field-ready capability over polished slide decks. If you want to see your code or hardware in the field next month—not next year—this is your playground.

Position Summary

9 Mothers is seeking a Lead Embedded Engineer (BSP) to own the Board Support Package and embedded platform underlying our counter-sUAS systems. The Lead Embedded Engineer is responsible for board bring-up, Linux platform development, device driver engineering, and the operating system framework upon which our perception, controls, and autonomy software operate. This is a senior individual contributor position.

Essential Duties

• Lead end-to-end bring-up of new board revisions, including bootloader, kernel, device tree, and peripheral driver development.
• Own the Linux platform image that ships on production systems, including kernel configuration, patching, and long-term maintenance.
• Design and maintain the operating system framework supporting application software, including process supervision, inter-process communication, logging, configuration management, and update and rollback infrastructure.
• Develop and maintain device drivers for cameras, inertial measurement units, motor controllers, and custom hardware peripherals.
• Establish and operate the build, signing, and provisioning pipeline for production deployment.

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• Diagnose and resolve complex issues spanning the hardware, kernel, and userspace boundary.
• Define standards and best practices for embedded software development, testing, and deployment.
  
  

Requirements

• 6+ years of professional experience developing and shipping production embedded Linux systems.
• Expert proficiency in C and Linux kernel development, including driver development, device tree, and kernel internals.
• Demonstrated experience leading full board bring-up from schematic review through production-ready peripheral drivers.
• Strong systems programming experience in Rust or C++.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to pass a background check.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with NVIDIA Jetson platforms (Orin, JetPack).
• Yocto Project and meta-layer development experience.

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• Prior experience establishing BSP practices at an early-stage or small-team hardware company.
• Active security clearance, or eligibility to obtain one.
• Prior experience in defense or other safety-critical applications.
• A passion for building robots or engineering projects as a hobby.
  
  

Benefits

• Meaningful Early Equity: You aren't just an employee; you are a foundational owner. Your contributions directly drive the value of your stake in the company.
• Direct Roadmap Influence: Forget the bureaucracy of big defense. You will have a seat at the table, directly shaping our product and technology trajectory from day one.
• Mission-Critical Work: We don't build for "what if." We build systems the Department of War actively needs to counter immediate, real-world threats.
• The Builder's Playground: Work in a brand-new lab fully optimized for rapid prototyping, equipped with NVIDIA Jetsons, high-end scopes, and 3-D printers.
• 100% Employer-Paid Premiums: We cover 100% of your medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums and cover 50% of healthcare premiums for your dependents.
• Unlimited PTO: We value results, not clock-watching. Take the time you need to stay sharp and recharge.
• Zero Red Tape: You report to the founders. You have the autonomy to make technical decisions that would take months of committee approval at a larger firm.
• Austin-Based Culture: Join an onsite team in Austin, TX, where we prioritize high-bandwidth collaboration and rapid field-testing.

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• Relocation Assistance: We want the best talent in the room. If you aren't in Austin yet, we’ll help you get here, to make your transition to the Silicon Hills seamless.
  
  

About The Interview

• Application screen phone call (30 min)
• Live coding test with the Director of Engineering (45 min via MS Teams)
• Paid take-home consulting agreement ($500, ~4-8 hours)
• Onsite interview in Austin
• Offer
  
  

Equal Employment Opportunity

9 Mothers is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

Export Control

This position may require access to information or technology subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). U.S. citizenship is required.

Compensation Range: $250K - $300K