System Software Engineer, Graphics & Camera Pipeline

About Rivet  

Rivet is an American company building integrated task systems — fusing hardened hardware with software, sensors, AI, and networking — for industrial workforces and defense personnel. We create capabilities that multiply the effectiveness of every individual and withstand the world’s toughest environments. 

We serve the people who build, operate, maintain, and defend our way of life. From technicians and engineers to first responders and service members, they embody the hard work, ingenuity, and meritocratic values that drive Western prosperity. Yet too often they are forced to rely on outdated tools that fail under modern pressures. Rivet exists to reset that priority. 

At Rivet, you’ll join a mission-driven team that fuses disciplines to deliver decisive outcomes where they matter most. Whether shaping our technology, strengthening our partnerships, or building our culture, every role here contributes to equipping the front lines with the modern systems they deserve. 

EOE

Work Authorization Requirement: Due to the nature of our business and compliance with federal regulations, all candidates must be a "U.S. Person". Upon hire, you will be required to provide documentation verifying your status as a U.S. Citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or a protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Role: System Software Engineer, Graphics & Camera Pipeline

Location: San Jose or Bellevue

Compensation*: $200,000-$275,000 + benefits

At Rivet, we’re building systems that fuse sensor data with real-time digital overlays. This role sits at the core of that experience. We’re looking for a system software engineer who operates at the intersection of firmware, OS, and real-time graphics—someone who can take raw camera input, move it efficiently through the system, and enable low-latency reprojection and rendering for mixed reality applications. If you’ve worked on platforms like gaming consoles, AR/VR devices, or GPU-driven systems, you’ll feel at home here. 

The quality, latency, and reliability of our mixed reality experience depend directly on the systems you build. You’ll be working on the hardest technical problems in the stack—and your work will be visible in every frame. 

Responsibilities 

• Own the end-to-end camera and graphics pipeline, from sensor input to rendered output 

• Build and optimize low-latency data paths for camera ingestion, processing, and reprojection 

• Work across Linux and Android system layers (kernel, HAL, system services) to support real-time imaging workloads 

• Interface directly with hardware (cameras, GPUs, sensors) to bring up and debug drivers and data flows 

• Design and implement efficient memory, buffer, and synchronization strategies (e.g., zero-copy pipelines, DMA, GPU interop) 

• Enable mixed reality rendering pipelines, aligning real-world imagery with virtual overlays 

• Debug and resolve complex system-level issues across firmware, OS, and application layers 

• Partner closely with hardware, perception, and application teams to ship performant, reliable systems 

Role Requirements 

• 5+ years of experience in system software, graphics, or camera pipelines  

• Strong experience with Linux and/or Android at the system level (kernel, drivers, HALs, AOSP) 

• Deep understanding of camera systems (ISP pipelines, frame timing, synchronization, calibration) 

• Experience with graphics and GPU pipelines (OpenGL, Vulkan, CUDA, or similar) 

• Familiarity with real-time or low-latency systems, including profiling and performance optimization 

• Experience working close to hardware: device drivers, memory management, and I/O subsystems  

• Ability to debug across the stack—from firmware to user-space  

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience developing AR or VR platforms (XR platforms a plus) 

• Experience with computer vision or camera intrinsic & extrinsic calibration 

• Experience with multi-camera systems, sensor fusion, or reprojection techniques 

• Experience with game engines or real time interactive simulations a plus 

• Familiarity with zero-copy architectures, hardware buffers, and GPU/CPU synchronization 

• Exposure to mobile, embedded or resource-constrained systems (thermal, power, compute limits) 

• Knowledge of digital display standards (MIPI or equivalent, video timings, color spaces) 

*Total compensation may vary within this range and is determined by years and level of relevant experience, job-related skills, education, and other factors. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for equity grants and other forms of compensation. Eligible employees also receive a competitive benefits package, including unlimited PTO.