Operating System Design Manager

OS System Design Manager

Lenovo is building the next generation of intelligent device experiences powered by Qira, our cross-device Personal AI platform. As part of this transformation, we are hiring an OS System Design Manager to lead the architecture and system design of core OS-level components spanning Linux, Android, Windows, and RTOS-based platforms.

This role focuses on designing and integrating HAL, middleware, system services, and OS-level abstractions that enable consistent, scalable, and secure experiences across Lenovo and Motorola devices. You will provide technical leadership, drive system-level innovation, and guide a highly skilled engineering team responsible for delivering foundational system components.

Location: The preferred working locations are Chicago, IL or San Jose, CA.

What You'll Do

• Lead system architecture and design across multi-OS environments (Linux, Android, Windows, RTOS), focusing on HAL and middleware layers.
• Define and evolve OS-level abstractions, system services, and framework-facing interfaces that deliver consistent capabilities across diverse device platforms.
• Drive integration of system components with vendor HALs, silicon-specific interfaces, and low-level drivers across multiple operating systems.
• Collaborate with AI, product, firmware, hardware, and platform teams to ensure scalable and unified system designs.
• Deliver platform solutions that meet stringent performance, reliability, latency, and power goals across various hardware architectures.
• Oversee technical execution including design reviews, system bring-up, debugging, and integration readiness for production platforms.
• Manage and grow a team of system engineers, fostering strong execution, technical depth, and platform expertise.
• Stay current with advances in OS architectures, HAL design patterns, system optimization approaches, and multi-OS best practices.

Basic Qualifications

• 12+ years of hands-on engineering experience in OS level software, system design, HAL, or middleware development across Linux, Android, Windows, or RTOS platforms.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering is required.
• 3+ years of people-management experience, leading platform or system engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of framework ↔ system service ↔ HAL ↔ driver interactions across multiple operating systems.
• Proficiency in C/C++ for embedded and system-level development and familiarity with Java/Kotlin/C#/Rust as applicable to different OS environments.
• Proven experience delivering system-level components for consumer-grade devices (phones, tablets, PCs, IoT, embedded).
• Deep understanding of OS fundamentals including process models, memory management, IPC, scheduling, performance, power optimization, and system security.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams through system architecture decisions, cross-platform debugging, and production-quality delivery.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate product requirements into scalable multi-OS system architectures.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with HAL design, middleware frameworks, and system services across diverse OS platforms.
• Master's Degree in Engineering is preferred.
• Background working with silicon vendors.
• Familiarity with AI-enabled system features, sensor frameworks, data-flow optimization, or on-device processing pipelines.
• Experience with updatable system components (Android APEX/Mainline, Linux modular packaging, Windows system modules).
• Strong problem-solving skills for cross-layer issues spanning frameworks, middleware, native daemons, HALs, and kernel interfaces.
• Passion for system design, OS architecture, and building clean, maintainable, and scalable system abstractions across heterogeneous platforms.

The base salary budgeted range for this position is $190K - $230K. Individuals may also be considered for bonus and/or commission.

Lenovo's various benefits can be found on We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any federal, state, or local protected class.

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