Device Software Lead

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated Device Software Lead to join our team in Horw, Switzerland. This is an onsite position, with the flexibility to work from home 1–2 days per week following the initial onboarding period.

As Device Software Lead, you will be the architect and driving force behind how Toradex turns strong hardware and BSP foundations into innovative, easy-to-use, and secure device enablement.

This is a senior technical and people leadership role (Lead / Principal / Director level) that combines:

• Deep Embedded Linux & Yocto expertise

• Line management responsibilities from day one

• A strong innovation mandate

• A visible thought leadership and external-facing component

You won’t just run the current playbook - you will evolve and reinvent how Toradex demonstrates industry-leadership in Device Software: from how we structure BSP and layers, to how we deliver reference images, to how customers experience our platform end-to-end.

This role is ideal for leaders who want to combine strategic architectural thinking, hands-on engineering, software product management for devices, and people management – shaping both the technology and the team that delivers it.

You’ll be a key voice in both what we build and how the world hears about it.

You’ll be accountable not only for how the platform is built, but also for which device software capabilities we prioritize, how they are packaged, and how they land with customers.

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What You Will Do

1) Lead and Innovate the Device Software Integration Layer

• Architect and implement:

  • You will define the technical vision for our device software stack and personally drive key architectural decisions through to implementation, ensuring technical excellence at every layer.

• Continuously innovate how this stack is put together:

  • New layering patterns that keep BSP clean but powerful

  • Smarter reuse of product building blocks to cover more use cases with less complexity

  • Simplify advanced software features for the ease-of-use of the customer

• Define and maintain clear, future-proof boundaries across BSP, meta-layers and distros so we can move fast without creating chaos.

2) Drive Cross-Team Technical Strategy & Change

• Act as the technical counterpart and sparring partner for leaders in:

  • BSP / kernel

  • Security

  • Automation / CI

  • Product management Devices

  • Product Management Torizon OS

  • Torizon R&D Director

• Shape and champion medium- and long-term technical bets, such as:

  • How we meet evolving security and regulatory demands

  • How we structure releases and long-term maintenance

  • How our device software strategy ties into Torizon and other offerings

• Turn strategy into concrete change:

  • Roadmaps

  • Design decisions

  • Technical guidelines others can follow

3) Lead, Grow, and Inspire a High-Impact Team

• Be line manager from day one for the Device Software team:

  • Set a clear vision and direction

  • Provide coaching, feedback, and growth opportunities

  • Build a culture where innovation and shipping both matter

• Help attract and hire talented engineers who are excited by platform building and innovation.

4) Turn “Possible” into “Easy” – with New Ideas

• Own the vision for simplicity for the customer enablement on Toradex devices:

  • Secure boot and encryption that are safe, robust, and simple to adopt

  • Connectivity enablement where Wi‑Fi / BT / 4G/5G are not a project, but a capability

  • Reference images that are genuinely useful: easy to start from, easy to adapt for production

• Rethink and improve how developers experience our platform:

  • From first download, to first boot, to first secure, connected product

  • From Yocto experts to teams new to Embedded Linux

• Make sure innovation is visible and usable:

  • Back technical work with strong documentation, examples, and developer workflows.

5) Thought Leadership, Innovation & External Messaging

• Act as a thought leader for Toradex in the embedded software community:

  • Speak at conferences and webinars

  • Publish deep technical articles and architecture stories

  • Engage with partners and strategic customers on platform direction

• Bring outside-in thinking:

  • Track industry trends (e.g. security, regulatory, RT, connectivity, open-source tooling)

  • Distill what really matters for Toradex and our customers

  • Propose and drive new initiatives that keep us ahead of the curve

• Help shape a clear external narrative:

  • How Toradex makes Embedded Linux & Yocto easier

  • Why our approach to BSPs, layers, and enablement is different and better

  • How innovation in device software translates into real customer value

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What We Are Looking For

Technical Background

• 8+ years of hands-on experience in Embedded Linux on ARM-based systems.

• Strong, practical experience with Yocto Project / OpenEmbedded, including:

  • Designing and maintaining layers and recipes

  • Working with BSPs or Yocto-based distributions

  • Owning or significantly influencing platform-level architecture

• Very good understanding of:

  • Linux kernel configuration for embedded

  • Device trees and driver integration

  • Bootloaders (e.g. U‑Boot) and secure boot basics

• Experience in at least one of:

  • Security enablement (secure boot, encryption, key provisioning)

  • Connectivity enablement (Wi‑Fi / cellular integration, network stack configuration)

  • Platform / distribution integration in embedded products

• Remain deeply hands-on:

  • You will regularly design, prototype, and review code, and are expected to directly contribute to critical technical solutions—not just oversee or delegate.

  • You thrive on solving complex integration challenges and are comfortable jumping into the codebase when needed.

Leadership, Communication & Innovation

• Experience owning a roadmap or product area (not just delivering tickets), ideally for developer platforms, SDKs, or embedded device software.

• Comfortable working with product managers and customers to frame problems, define value, and trade off scope vs. time-to-market.

• Proven experience as a technical lead, principal engineer, architect, or engineering manager, ideally with:

  • Responsibility for platform-level or integration-level topics