Linux Kernel Developer

Introduction

At IBM's Linux Technology Centre, our core mission is to make Linux better. We foster innovative concepts and forward-looking discussions within the Linux community, working toward recognition as trusted, valuable contributors. We also support IBM Power hardware and related software and services brands used by Enterprise clients to run mission critical workloads on Linux.

This role involves you in every stage of software development while joining a dynamic, technically skilled team focused on open source development.

Your Role And Responsibilities

As a Linux Kernel Developer, you will develop and optimize key components within the core kernel and adjacent areas including Memory management, CPU scheduler, RAS, I/O, KVM, and bootloader.

You will leverage your experience in building Enterprise Linux capabilities to help deliver out-of-the-box performance for important workloads on IBM Power systems. You will also engage in and contribute to Linux kernel community discussions related to feature design and development.

Responsibilities Include

• Design and development of cutting-edge features for Enterprise Linux.
• Partner closely with the open source community to upstream features that you develop.
• Work toward ensuring IBM Power systems objectives are achieved to the greatest extent possible.
• Coordinate with teams above and below the stack to ensure goals are met holistically.
  
  

Required Technical And Professional Expertise

• 6 to 12 years of experience in Linux internals, operating systems, and Linux kernel development. Strong experience in kernel programming, kernel debugging, performance analysis, and root cause identification.
• Hands-on expertise in Linux kernel subsystems including Memory Management, Filesystems, Virtualization (KVM), Device Drivers, Interrupt Handling, IOMMU/VFIO, Networking, or related areas.
• Working knowledge of computer system architecture, including CPU, memory, I/O subsystems, and virtualization technologies.
• Strong operating systems fundamentals with deep understanding of process management, scheduling, synchronization, memory management, and storage stacks.
• Strong programming skills in C, C++, Python, and shell scripting, with experience developing and debugging low-level system software.
• Experience working with open-source software—contributing to upstream Linux kernel communities, reviewing patches, and maintaining kernel code.
• Hands-on experience with kernel tracing and debugging tools such as GDB, crash, ftrace, perf, eBPF, SystemTap, or kgdb.
• Experience in kernel performance tuning, troubleshooting, and resolving complex system-level issues.
• Demonstrated problem-solving, design, collaboration, and communication skills, with the ability to lead technical discussions across teams.
  
  

Preferred Technical And Professional Experience

• Experience with the Linux upstream community and LKML participation. Ability to develop, submit, and maintain kernel patches. Strong code review skills ensuring quality and standards compliance. Proficiency with tools like git and checkpatch. Effective collaboration with maintainers and the community to drive upstream contribution