Senior Embedded Software Engineer (All Genders)

About the role

STARK is a defense technology company revolutionizing the way autonomous systems are deployed across multiple domains. We design, develop and manufacture high performance unmanned vehicles that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost effective – giving NATO and its allies a decisive edge in the most contested environments.
We’re focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems - not future promises. In a time of rising threats, STARK is bolstering the technological edge of NATO Allies and their Partners to deter aggression and defend Europe - today.
We are seeking a talented Senior Embedded  Engineer to help design and build the backbone of next-generation systems that integrate data, sensors, and control applications into secure, high-performance software. You will contribute to technology that powers aerospace, automotive, robotics, and defence-related platforms where real-world devices meet advanced software. Create and maintain custom cross-compilation toolchains and SDKs for the team.
Create and maintain a robust, reproducible Yocto-based Linux distribution tailored for autonomous flight 
Take full ownership of the lifecycle for MIPI camera and sensor drivers, ensuring total environmental awareness for our platforms. 
Optimise system boot time and real-time task latency.
Implement fail-safes and watchdogs for mission-critical flight code.
B.Sc/M.Sc in Computer Science, Robotics, Systems Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
Senior level development for performance-critical systems (C/C++).
Experience building custom layers, recipes, and Board Support Packages (BSPs). 
Deep knowledge of kernel tuning and optimisation.
Hands-on experience with DTS/DTSI for hardware bring-up.
Writing and debugging drivers and kernel modules.
Proficiency with SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, and PCIe.
Must be eligiable for UK Security Clearance (SC)
Nice to Have
Experience with JetPack SDK, L4T, and CUDA/TensorRT.
Driver development for CSI-2 sensors and ISP tuning.
Any experience or desire to use the Rust programming language.
Experience with PX4/ArduPilot flight stacks and MAVLink.
Development of high-throughput nodes and DDS middleware tuning.
Building hardware-accelerated video pipelines for low-latency streaming.
Implementing Secure Boot and encrypted file systems.
Our Commitment to the Armed Forces Community We are proud to hold the Bronze Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) , reflecting our meaningful commitment and ongoing support for UK defence personnel. At our core, we believe in championing those who serve, those who have served, and their families. As part of this scheme, we are dedicated to providing an inclusive, supportive environment where members of the Armed Forces community can thrive and bring their invaluable skills to our team.