$121K - 167K a year
The Software Engineer III, Kernel will work on the software and firmware stack for solar-powered devices, focusing on low-level driver development and OS customizations. The role involves collaborating with senior engineers and stakeholders to enhance device performance and reliability.
Candidates should have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant field and at least 2 years of experience in embedded software development. Practical experience with embedded Linux or Android systems and solid programming skills in C and C++ are essential.
Who is Flock? Flock Safety is the leading safety technology platform, helping communities thrive by taking a proactive approach to crime prevention and security. Our hardware and software suite connects cities, law enforcement, businesses, schools, and neighborhoods in a nationwide public-private safety network. Trusted by over 5,000 communities, 4,500 law enforcement agencies, and 1,000 businesses, Flock delivers real-time intelligence while prioritizing privacy and responsible innovation. We’re a high-performance, low-ego team driven by urgency, collaboration, and bold thinking. Working at Flock means tackling big challenges, moving fast, and continuously improving. It’s intense but deeply rewarding for those who want to make an impact. With nearly $700M in venture funding and a $7.5B valuation, we’re scaling intentionally and seeking top talent to help build the impossible. If you value teamwork, ownership, and solving tough problems, Flock could be the place for you. The Opportunity Flock Safety is seeking a highly skilled Engineer to join our Device OS Team, a talented group at the core of our engineering efforts. This team is responsible for the entire software and firmware stack running on our extensive fleet of solar-powered devices, which are critical to our mission of capturing and transmitting millions of images and streaming video to the cloud daily. In this role, you’ll gain hands-on experience across a wide range of development activities — from low-level driver development and system bring-up to OS customizations and feature implementation. You’ll work closely with senior engineers, internal stakeholders, and external partners, building your expertise in embedded Linux and Android kernel development while contributing directly to the performance and reliability of our devices. The Skillset We're looking for people with: A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field 2+ years of experience in embedded software development Practical experience working with embedded Linux or Android-based systems (academic, internship, or professional) Solid programming skills in C and C++ Familiarity with Linux kernel or Android system architecture (drivers, build system, HALs) Understanding of peripheral bus technologies like SPI, I2C, UART Comfortable working in a Linux-based development environment, including Git and common build tools Willingness to provide onsite support for new projects at the Coop once or twice a year The ideal candidate will have: Familiarity with bootloaders and early bring-up concepts Experience debugging low-level issues in Linux or Android Exposure to Qualcomm-based devices or other SoCs Interest in power-constrained devices and embedded performance tuning Experience with ARM Cortex microcontrollers (NRF5x, STM32x, etc.) is a plus Feeling uneasy that you haven’t ticked every box? That’s okay; we’ve felt that way too. Studies have shown women and minorities are less likely to apply unless they meet all qualifications. We encourage you to break the status quo and apply to roles that would make you excited to come to work every day. 90 Days at Flock We are a results-oriented culture and believe job descriptions are a thing of the past. We prescribe to 90 day plans and believe that good days, lead to good weeks, which lead to good months. This serves as a preview of the 90 day plan you will receive if you were to be hired as a OS/BSP Engineer at Flock Safety. The First 30 Days: Learn the ins and outs of our embedded Linux/Android-based firmware architecture, development lifecycle, and toolchain Set up your development environment and build system Gain familiarity with our bootloader processes and basic system bring-up Connect with teammates and cross-functional partners, learning how different teams collaborate at Flock The First 60 Days: Contribute to early bug fixes, improvements, or driver-related tasks (e.g., peripheral drivers, system initialization, or power management) Participate in bootloader or kernel configuration tasks under the guidance of senior engineers Start to explore how our devices handle core OS functions like interrupts, memory usage, and resource monitoring 90 Days & Beyond: Take ownership of well-scoped OS/BSP features or driver development tasks Analyze performance and stability in parts of the system you’ve contributed to, identifying opportunities for optimization Collaborate with the team on future roadmap discussions, bringing your perspective on improving device OS performance and reliability Salary & Equity In this role, you’ll receive a starting salary between $121,000 - 167,000 as well as Flock Safety Stock Options. The Perks 🌴Flexible PTO: We seriously mean it, plus 11 company holidays. ⚕️Fully-paid health benefits plan for employees: including Medical, Dental, and Vision and an HSA match. 👪Family Leave: All employees receive 12 weeks of 100% paid parental leave. Birthing parents are eligible for an additional 6-8 weeks of physical recovery time. 🍼Fertility & Family Benefits: We have partnered with Maven, a complete digital health benefit for starting and raising a family. In 2025, Flock will provide a $ 50,000-lifetime maximum benefit related to eligible adoption, surrogacy, or fertility expenses. 💖Caregiver Support: We have partnered with Cariloop to provide our employees with caregiver support 💸Carta Tax Advisor: Employees receive 1:1 sessions with Equity Tax Advisors who can address individual grants, model tax scenarios, and answer general questions. 💚ERGs: We want all employees to thrive and feel like they belong at Flock. We offer three ERGs today - Women of Flock, Flock Proud, and Melanin Motion. If you are interested in talking to a representative from one of these, please let your recruiter know. 💻WFH Stipend: $150 per month to cover the costs of working from home. 📚Productivity Stipend: $250 per year to use on Audible, Calm, Masterclass, Duolingo, Grammarly and so much more. 🏠Home Office Stipend: A one-time $750 to help you create your dream office. Flock is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diverse backgrounds and thoughts and welcome everyone to apply for employment with us. We are committed to fostering an environment that is inclusive, transparent, and collaborative. Mutual respect is central to how Flock operates, and we believe the best solutions come from diverse perspectives, experiences, and skills. We embrace our differences and know that we are stronger working together. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please email us at recruiting@flocksafety.com. This information will be treated as confidential and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the interview process. At Flock Safety, we compensate our employees fairly for their work. Base salary is determined by job-related experience, education/training, as well as market indicators. The range above is representative of base salary only and does not include equity, sales bonus plans (when applicable) and benefits. This range may be modified in the future. This job posting may span more than one career level.
This job posting was last updated on 10/22/2025