Principal Linux/Android Platform Developer (AOSP)

TL;DR

Principal Linux/Android Platform Developer (AOSP): Development, configuration and optimisation of the Android platform with an accent on AOSP customisation, Linux kernel tuning and low-level system development. Focus on scheduler tuning, latency reduction, power management improvements and modifying Android framework services.

Location: Just north of Cambridge, UK. Fully office-based (5 days/week)

Salary: Up to £70k

Company

Highly innovative engineering organisation operating at the forefront of secure communications technology. Products deliver mission-critical connectivity solutions used globally across public safety, defence, transport, utilities and commercial sectors.

What you will do

• Develop and customise Android platform using AOSP.
• Configure, tune and optimise Linux kernel for performance.
• Implement scheduler tuning, latency reduction and power management improvements.
• Modify Android framework services and system components.
• Work with large-scale codebases using Git for branching, merging and upstream integration.
• Integrate open-source tools for debugging, profiling and performance analysis.
• Develop system-level C++ components in real-time, multi-threaded environments.
• Support integration testing, issue investigation and root cause analysis.
• Produce design documentation and contribute to architectural decisions.
• Collaborate in agile scrum teams on mission-critical product development.

Requirements

• Strong understanding of Android architecture and AOSP internals.
• Solid background in Linux system programming and/or kernel development.
• Experience optimising Linux/Android systems (performance, power, latency).
• Proficiency in C++ in embedded, real-time, multi-threaded environments.
• Experience with Android framework components such as Binder, AIDL, System Services (C++/Java), Framework APIs, NDK/JNI, SELinux, CTS.
• Experience working with mobile or embedded Linux platforms.
• Strong familiarity with debugging and profiling tools (memory, performance, code coverage, leak detection).
• Structured engineering approach with understanding of software quality processes.

Nice to have

• Experience with Linux open-source configuration and patch management.
• Exposure to hardware teams (schematics, oscilloscopes, logic analysers).
• Background in ruggedised devices, secure communications or embedded consumer electronics.

Culture & Benefits

• Highly collaborative, engineering-led organisation.
• Stable, long-term team with strong technical leadership.
• Agile scrum-based delivery model.
• Focus on building robust, mission-critical systems used in demanding environments.
• Strong emphasis on in-office collaboration (5 days per week).