At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and implement secure software updates for embedded Linux devices in a hands-on engineering role.
- Company: Join Invisible Systems, a leader in smart monitoring solutions and IoT technology.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with a focus on reliability and automation.
- Why this job: Shape the future of IoT with cutting-edge technology and impactful projects.
- Qualifications: Experience in Linux systems, embedded devices, and infrastructure engineering required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Location: Hybrid (Manchester HQ with flexible working)
Salary: Competitive
Benefits
Company: Invisible Systems Limited
About Invisible Systems
Invisible Systems is one of the UK's leading providers of smart monitoring solutions, delivering IoT technology that helps organisations improve compliance, reduce energy consumption and operate more efficiently. Our technology connects thousands of sensors and intelligent devices across the UK and internationally, providing real-time monitoring of temperature, energy, environmental conditions and critical assets.
The Role
We are seeking an experienced engineer with a strong background in Linux systems, embedded devices and infrastructure engineering. The successful candidate will lead the design and implementation of a reliable, repeatable and secure software update framework across our fleet of embedded Linux devices. This is a hands-on engineering role involving embedded Linux, networking, cloud infrastructure and reliability engineering. You'll work closely with our software, hardware and DevOps teams to improve the resilience, maintainability and security of our deployed systems.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, implement and maintain a reliable over-the-air (OTA) software update process for embedded Linux devices.
- Define update strategies including rollback, version control, integrity checking and recovery mechanisms.
- Build release packaging and deployment pipelines for embedded devices.
- Develop automated release testing using hardware simulators and software test harnesses.
- Evaluate and implement proven update frameworks where appropriate, with bespoke solutions where necessary.
- Design secure methods for remote administration of deployed systems.
- Evaluate and implement centralised Authentication, Authorisation and Accounting (AAA) solutions for SSH access.
- Support infrastructure relating to device connectivity, networking and cloud services.
- Improve system reliability, monitoring and operational resilience.
- Produce technical documentation covering deployment processes, recovery procedures and operational best practice.
Current Project Scope
- LoRaWAN Gateway Fleet
- Approximately 1,000 deployed gateways
- LTE Cat 1 and LTE Cat 4 connectivity
- ARM and MIPS architectures
- OpenWRT-based Linux systems
- Energy Monitoring Platform
- Approximately 200 deployed systems
- Raspberry Pi based Node-RED applications
- Serial communications UART RS232 Modbus integration
- All systems communicate via secure 4G cellular networks.
Essential Skills & Experience
We're looking for someone who has experience in many of the following:
- Linux & Embedded Systems
- Strong Linux administration skills
- Embedded Linux development
- OpenWRT
- Shell scripting (Bash)
- Package management
- Cross-compilation
- ARM and MIPS architectures
- Raspberry Pi development
- Embedded networking
- Device provisioning
- System recovery and rollback techniques
- Software Deployment
- Designing OTA update mechanisms
- Release packaging
- Software version management
- Automated deployment
- Release validation
- Software testing
- Test harness development
- Hardware simulation
- Networking
- IPv4 and IPv6
- IPSec VPNs
- Routing fundamentals
- BGP
- Network diagnostics
- Secure remote access
- Cloud & Infrastructure
- Experience working with AWS services including: EC2, VPC, Route53, SQS, SNS, Lambda, CloudWatch, Application Load Balancer (ALB), Network Load Balancer (NLB)
- Security
- SSH security
- Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
- Authentication and Authorisation
- AAA solutions (e.g. FreeRADIUS, TACACS, LDAP or similar)
- Secure software deployment
- Certificate management
- Reliability Engineering
- Monitoring
- Logging
- Fault tolerance
- High availability
- Incident analysis
- Root cause investigation
- Operational resilience
- Infrastructure automation
Desirable Experience
- LoRaWAN
- MQTT
- Docker
- GitHub Actions or CI/CD platforms
- Infrastructure as Code (Pulumi, CloudFormation or similar)
- Javascript
- C/C++
- Node-RED
- Modbus
- Industrial communications
- Cellular networking (4G/5G)
- IoT platforms
What We're Looking For
You'll be someone who:
- Enjoys solving complex technical problems.
- Can work independently and take ownership of critical infrastructure.
- Takes a pragmatic engineering approach with a strong focus on reliability.
- Produces clean, maintainable and well-documented solutions.
- Is equally comfortable working on embedded devices, networking and cloud infrastructure.
- Has a passion for automation and continuous improvement.
Why Join Invisible Systems?
This role offers the opportunity to design and build the core infrastructure that will support thousands of connected devices across multiple industries. You'll work with modern cloud technologies, embedded Linux platforms and large-scale IoT deployments while helping shape the future architecture of our products. If you enjoy designing robust systems that operate reliably in the real world, we'd love to hear from you.
Senior Linux & Embedded Systems Engineer in Manchester employer: Invisible Systems
Invisible Systems Limited is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration in the heart of Manchester. With flexible hybrid working arrangements, competitive salaries, and a commitment to employee growth through hands-on projects in cutting-edge IoT technology, we empower our team to make a meaningful impact while enjoying a supportive environment that values continuous improvement and professional development.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Linux & Embedded Systems Engineer in Manchester
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Invisible Systems or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Invisible Systems.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Invisible Systems.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Invisible Systems that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Linux & Embedded Systems Engineer in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Invisible Systems.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Invisible Systems and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Invisible Systems
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Invisible Systems uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
