The Software Behind the Silicon: Meet the Engineers Shaping the Future of Compute

At Arm, software engineers' work can begin long before the technology reaches the products people use every day.

From firmware and operating systems to Edge AI, open-source software and silicon platforms, they solve complex technical challenges and build the foundations that bring new technology to life.

At Arm's Cambridge, UK headquarters, Emekcan Aras, Staff Software Engineer, and Harry Moulton, Software Engineer, are part of the teams helping shape what comes next.

We spoke to Emek and Harry about their careers in Arm software, the technologies they're working on, what it's like to see an idea become real silicon and why they believe there's never been a more exciting time to build a software engineering career at Arm.

Building Technology Before the World Sees It

For Emek, the opportunity to work on technology at an early stage was exactly what brought him to Arm. After completing a PhD focused on the security and reliability of emerging IoT and edge devices and networks, he was looking for somewhere he could take his research beyond academia.

"I wanted to apply that research to real products, and Arm is one of the few places where I could do exactly that."

Today, Emek leads a team working on IoT and Edge AI solutions, with a role that takes him across the software stack.

"Personally, I work across the entire software stack, from firmware and boot loaders through Linux and Yocto, bringing together the different layers needed to build a complete solution. I also contribute new features to a variety of open-source projects, helping enable new Arm technologies while ensuring those improvements are available to the wider community."

Every Day Brings a Different Challenge

Working across so many technologies means the problems to solve can change from one day to the next. Ask Emek or Harry what a typical day in software engineering at Arm looks like, and you'll get a similar answer: there isn't really one.

For Emek, a day can move between hands-on development, problem-solving and collaboration.

"No two days are really the same. Some days I'm deep in scripting, coding, firmware debugging, reading boot logs and tracking down an issue that only happens on a specific platform. Other days I'm reviewing code, discussing architecture with colleagues, working on CI pipelines, or helping teammates unblock problems."

For Harry, that variety comes with working as part of a team that spans the UK and India, where collaboration can continue even after his working day ends.

"Typically, I start the day checking for any new review comments on my patches, as our team is split between India and the UK, so I usually get reviews overnight. I'll then make some kind of plan for the day, prioritise what needs to be done. After that, the day is usually my own to get on with my outstanding tasks."

Seeing Ideas Become Products

Working on technology at an early stage also means getting to experience what happens when those ideas become something real. For both Harry and Emek, seeing their work progress from development to a complete product or solution is one of the most rewarding parts of their roles.

Harry has been part of Arm’s silicon expansion project since its early days and has now seen that work come together in silicon he uses himself.

"The most interesting and rewarding part is being able to work on such an exciting new project and direction for the company and, having been in my team since its early days, it's amazing to see it all come together in a real chip that I am now using on a daily basis."

For Emek, that same sense of achievement comes from seeing all the different layers of a system come together.

"The most rewarding part of my role is seeing a complete solution come together. Working across the full software stack gives me the opportunity to take a systems-level view, understanding not just the individual components but how they work together to build a reliable solution."

He also enjoys seeing his work benefit others.

"I also enjoy contributing to upstream open-source projects, where the work can benefit not only a single product but the wider Arm ecosystem and the broader open-source community. Seeing those ideas adopted and built upon by others is particularly satisfying."

A Place to Keep Growing

With such a breadth of software work happening at Arm, careers don't have to follow one path. Harry's has already taken him across several areas of engineering.

"I've gone from IoT & CI, to Infra, to Rust on Arm, to Kernels and now to the silicon expansion project, so you get a great deal of experience in the different areas the CE Software teams work on."

For Emek, growth comes from solving problems alongside people with different expertise and perspectives.

"Most projects involve collaborating across hardware, firmware, software, and product teams, so you're constantly exposed to different perspectives. People are approachable and willing to share their knowledge, which creates an environment where it's easy to ask questions, learn from others and solve problems together."

Advice for Future Software Engineers

So, what would they tell someone considering a software engineering career at Arm? For Emek, curiosity matters more than knowing everything from day one.

"Be curious and don't be afraid of low-level details. You don't need to know everything before you join, but you should enjoy figuring out how things work."

Harry's advice is simple.

"Absolutely go for it! Especially at the early-careers stage. You'll get the opportunity to work on various different teams and projects and get experience in different areas of software engineering."

Build the Future of Compute

From next-generation silicon and open-source software to IoT and Edge AI, software engineers at Arm are helping turn what's next in computing into reality.

Ready to help build it? Explore our latest software engineering opportunities.

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