Systems Architect - RTOS

About Applied Intuition

Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co.

We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments.

About the role

As a RTOS Solutions Architect on the Vehicle OS team, you will orchestrate the development of a universal software foundation that enables automakers to deliver next-generation vehicle intelligence and software at scale. Working across real-time operating systems, middleware, and hardware layers, you’ll collaborate with diverse teams to ensure seamless integration and rapid deployment, ultimately driving the transition to a software-defined future for the automotive industry.

At Applied Intuition, you will:

• Develop and maintain real-time operating system (RTOS) middleware and embedded software systems from the application layer down to the hardware abstraction layer.

• Work across the entire stack to develop new products, features, and tools that meet strict real-time performance and safety requirements.

• Design efficient and deterministic solutions to a wide range of embedded engineering challenges.

• Ship complex, mission-critical software in fast-paced environments alongside domain experts across a variety of fields: infrastructure, automotive, and embedded systems engineers, as well as startup veterans.

• Work hands-on with leading RTOS platforms including FreeRTOS and other safety-critical microkernel architectures.

We're looking for someone who has:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science, Electrical/Computer Engineering, or a related field.

• 6+ years of experience in embedded software development, with a focus on RTOS-based operating systems (e.g., FreeRTOS, OSEK.

• Strong experience designing scalable, modular middleware frameworks for real-time or safety-critical systems.

• Deep knowledge of IPC mechanisms (e.g., Shared memory, SOME/IP, gRPC), OS abstraction layers, and service-based architectures.

• Track record of building middleware for cross-domain applications (e.g., Infotainment, POSIX, Connectivity).

• Familiarity with multi-core scheduling, process isolation, and resource management on automotive-grade SoCs.

• Experience bringing up software on hardware prototypes and conducting system-level debugging and profiling.

Nice to have:

• Experience in RTOS platform development, including kernel extensions and hardware abstraction layer optimization

• Familiar with AUTOSAR Architecture.

• Familiar with creating MBSE-based design documents, sequence diagrams, and technical specifications that ensure hard real-time guarantees, deterministic behavior, and reusability across platforms. 

Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.

Please reference the job posting’s subtitle for where this position will be located. For pay transparency purposes, the base salary range for this full-time position in the location listed is: $200,000 - $260,000 USD annually.

Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.