NVIDIA Jetson Linux Engineer (Contract-to-Hire)
**This is a 3-month contract-to-hire role with our client located in Plymouth, MN. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship.**
Location: Preferably Plymouth, MN; open to Ann Arbor, MI or Madison, WI
Work Model: Mainly on-site for hardware, with some flexibility
Engagement: Contract-to-hire (3-month initial contract). Strong intent to convert if the engagement is successful.
We are looking for a senior-level Linux engineer with deep experience in NVIDIA Jetson Linux to help stand up and productionize a secure, maintainable Linux image for an embedded edge device. This role is highly hands-on and focused on building, hardening, and maintaining lean production images rather than application development. You will play a key role in the organization’s early Linux journey and act as the subject matter expert in a space where internal expertise is still developing.
Responsibilities
Build and maintain production-ready NVIDIA Jetson Linux images based on Ubuntu
Strip down developer images to create lean, secure, production-grade device images
Own Linux imaging, configuration, and long-term maintainability for edge devices
Implement OS hardening and security best practices to reduce attack surface
Manage Jetson Linux, JetPack, and L4T package updates
Design and support remote update and OTA strategies for deployed devices
Support installation and operation of internal services on top of the Linux image
Set up monitoring agents and services for remote device visibility
Collaborate with software engineers and hardware-focused teams during device integration
Help define standards and best practices as the organization builds internal Linux expertise
Qualifications
Strong experience with NVIDIA Jetson Linux (not just generic Ubuntu)
Hands-on experience creating and maintaining production Linux images for embedded or edge devices
Solid understanding of Linux security, hardening, and patching
Experience with remote updates, OTA workflows, or BSP package management
Familiarity with JetPack and L4T package ecosystems
Comfortable working with physical hardware in an office or lab environment
Ability to operate independently with minimal direction
Experience working in regulated environments such as medical devices is strongly preferred
Preferred Skills
Experience supporting connected or networked edge devices
Background in environments where reliability, security, and long-term maintainability are critical
Prior ownership of OS-level decisions rather than only application-layer work
Comfort stepping into a role where requirements evolve as the team learns
Work Style & Team Fit
Self-motivated and autonomous
Comfortable being the expert in the room
Pragmatic, collaborative, and low-ego
Thrives without micromanagement
The Interview Process
At Emergent Staffing, we work hard to find the software engineers who are the right fit for our clients. Here are the steps of our vetting process for this position:
Application (5 minutes)
Online Assessment (40 minutes)
Initial Video Interview (30-45 minutes)
Hiring Manager Video Interview (45 minutes)
Client In-person Interview (60 minutes)
Job Offer!
#EmergentStaffing
