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Freelance Linux Kernel Developer Jobs in Livingston, NJ

As a Linux Engineering intern, you'll work side by side with full-timers to learn how we build and ... fixing a kernel bug, responding to an overheating datacenter in real time, analyzing data to ...

Email Reliability Engineer

New York, NY · On-site

$62.25 - $82.75/hr

Senior Systems Engineer - Email Reliability (Hybrid SRE) New York, NY (Hybrid, 3 days in office ... Deep comfort with the Linux kernel, TCP stack tuning, and Postfix/MTA configuration management.

As a Linux Engineering intern, you'll work side by side with full-timers to learn how we build and ... fixing a kernel bug, responding to an overheating datacenter in real time, analyzing data to ...

Group Details The Linux engineering team are responsible for Tradeweb's Linux runtime environment ... Very strong knowledge of the Linux platform, including regular system administration, kernel ...

Embedded Software Engineer

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$133K - $160K/yr

& Responsibilities We'relooking for a hands-on Embedded Software Engineer who willbe responsible ... Experience with Linux kernel development * Experience with cryptographic software development in C ...

Embedded Software Engineer

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$133K - $160K/yr

& Responsibilities We're looking for a hands-on Embedded Software Engineer who will be responsible ... Experience with Linux kernel development * Experience with cryptographic software development in C ...

Showing results 41-60

Freelance Linux Kernel Developer information

See Livingston, NJ salary details

$110.1K

$162.5K

$191.9K

How much do freelance linux kernel developer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for freelance linux kernel developer in Livingston, NJ is $162,490.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $148,800.00 and $179,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a freelance Linux kernel developer do?

A Freelance Linux Kernel Developer specializes in writing, modifying, and maintaining the core of the Linux operating system, often for clients or companies on a project basis. Their responsibilities include debugging kernel code, developing new features, optimizing performance, and ensuring compatibility with hardware and software. Freelancers in this field work independently, offering their expertise to organizations that need custom Linux kernel solutions or support. They typically need strong programming skills in C, in-depth knowledge of operating systems, and experience with open-source collaboration.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a freelance Linux kernel developer?

To thrive as a Freelance Linux Kernel Developer, you need deep expertise in C programming, operating systems concepts, and a strong understanding of Linux internals, often supported by a relevant computer science degree or equivalent experience. Familiarity with version control systems (like Git), kernel debugging tools (such as GDB, perf), and contributing to open-source repositories is typically required. Strong problem-solving skills, self-motivation, and clear written communication help developers stand out when collaborating remotely and engaging with the open-source community. These competencies are crucial for efficiently delivering robust kernel solutions and maintaining high standards in a distributed, collaborative environment.

What are some common challenges faced by freelance Linux kernel developers when working with diverse client codebases?

Freelance Linux Kernel Developers often work with a variety of client codebases, which can present challenges such as adapting to different kernel versions, understanding custom modifications, and ensuring compatibility with client-specific hardware. Navigating disparate documentation and collaborating remotely with in-house teams also requires strong communication and problem-solving skills. Staying up-to-date with upstream kernel changes and maintaining high code quality are essential to deliver reliable, maintainable solutions for each project.

What is the difference between Freelance Linux Kernel Developer vs Linux Device Driver Developer?

AspectFreelance Linux Kernel DeveloperLinux Device Driver Developer
CredentialsExperience with Linux kernel development, possibly certifications in Linux or C programmingSimilar credentials, often with specialized knowledge in device driver development
Work EnvironmentFreelance projects, remote work, client-based assignmentsIn-house or freelance, focused on hardware-specific driver development
Industry UsageTechnology companies, startups, open-source projectsHardware manufacturers, embedded systems, specialized tech firms
Search & Comparison IntentLooking for freelance Linux kernel work or collaborationSeeking expertise in developing or maintaining device drivers

The main difference is that a Freelance Linux Kernel Developer works on overall kernel development projects on a freelance basis, while a Linux Device Driver Developer specializes in creating and maintaining drivers for specific hardware components. Both roles require similar technical skills and credentials, but their focus areas and work environments differ.

What cities near Livingston, NJ are hiring for Freelance Linux Kernel Developer jobs?

Cities near Livingston, NJ with the most Freelance Linux Kernel Developer job openings:

Senior Lead Software Engineer- Platform / Linux Engineering

J.P. Morgan

New York, NY

Full-time

Medical, Retirement

Re-posted 5 days ago


Job description

hackajob is collaborating with J.P. Morgan to connect them with exceptional professionals for this role.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Be an integral part of an agile team that's constantly pushing the envelope to enhance, build, and deliver top-notch technology products.

As a Senior Lead Software Engineer- Platform / Linux Engineering at JPMorganChase within the Corporate Sector- Infrastructure Platforms, you are an integral part of an agile team that works to enhance, build, and deliver trusted market-leading technology products in a secure, stable, and scalable way. Drive significant business impact through your capabilities and contributions, and apply deep technical expertise and problem-solving methodologies to tackle a diverse array of challenges that span multiple technologies and applications.

As a Senior Platform Engineer within Electronic Trading Services Platforms, you will be a hands-on technical leader responsible for designing, building, and tuning the Linux-based compute and infrastructure platforms that power our low-latency electronic trading businesses. This is a deeply technical, engineering-first role: you will write code and automation, design new systems, architect novel deployment models, and drive latency out of the stack at the hardware, kernel, and network layers. You will also harness modern Agentic AI tooling to accelerate delivery and multiply your impact.

You will work directly with the Electronic Trading Lines of Business to align technical strategy with business goals, solve complex compute and performance-engineering challenges, and mentor partner technical teams. You will serve as an expert, hands-on advisor to peers, leadership, and stakeholders.

Job responsibilities

  • Design, build, and operate high-performance Linux platforms for low-latency electronic trading, engineering from the hardware and kernel level up
  • Architect new system designs and next-generation deployment models - including immutable infrastructure, containerization, and automated provisioning pipelines
  • Perform deep performance engineering and latency optimization: kernel tuning, CPU isolation/pinning, NUMA awareness, IRQ affinity, kernel-bypass networking, and precision time synchronization
  • Write production-quality code and automation to build tooling, eliminate manual toil, and improve platform reliability and speed
  • Leverage Agentic AI tools and workflows to accelerate engineering tasks, automate research and remediation, and deliver against goals faster
  • Drive adoption and governance of approved AI-assisted engineering practices across teams to improve code quality, delivery speed, and operational outcomes (e.g., AI-assisted code review/refactoring, test acceleration, release readiness, incident/root-cause analysis), while establishing measurable validation standards (secure coding, peer review, automated testing) and promoting reuse of proven patterns and automation within the SDLC/TLM toolchain
  • Apply knowledge of tools within the Software Development Life Cycle toolchain, including approved AI-assisted development and automation capabilities, to improve the value realized by automation at scale.
  • Interface with hardware and software vendors on product roadmaps and to define the next generation of Electronic Trading Platform infrastructure
  • Make decisions that influence teams' resources, budget, tactical operations, and the execution of processes and procedures
  • Carry governance accountability for engineering decisions, control obligations, and measures of success such as cost of ownership, maintainability, and portfolio operations
  • Deliver reusable technical solutions that can be leveraged across multiple businesses and domains and mentor and influence SRE, peer engineers, and senior stakeholders across business, product, and technology teams

Required qualifications, capabilities, and skills

  • Formal training or certification on software engineering concepts and 5+ years applied experience
  • Strong programming skills with the ability to build production-grade tooling and automation (e.g., Python, Go, Bash)
  • Deep, hands-on Linux engineering expertise - administration, internals, performance tuning, and benchmarking, in areas such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux and proven experience engineering for low-latency, high-throughput environments (kernel tuning, CPU/NUMA optimization, precision timing)
  • Hands-on experience with kernel-bypass networking, specifically Solarflare Onload and extensive experience with configuration management, in areas such as Chef or Ansible
  • Demonstrated experience leading effective use of enterprise-authorized AI-assisted software development tools within the work environment (e.g., for coding, code review, test acceleration, troubleshooting) with the ability to set team expectations for validating AI outputs for correctness, performance, and security
  • Strong understanding of responsible AI use in engineering workflows, including data sensitivity considerations, secure handling of inputs/outputs, and adherence to resiliency and security expectations; experience coaching senior engineers/leads on compliant usage patterns and controls
  • Solid understanding of IPv4 networking, including the OSI model, unicast/broadcast/multicast, routing, and network segregation mechanisms
  • Experience designing CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure-as-code (e.g., Terraform) and practical cloud-native and container/orchestration experience (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)
  • Experience leading cross-functional teams of technologists, and hiring, developing, and recognizing talent

Preferred qualifications, capabilities, and skills

  • Experience with server hardware selection, BIOS/firmware tuning, and bare-metal provisioning for performance-sensitive workloads
  • Familiarity with observability and telemetry stacks (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, ELK) and understanding of standard cryptography (certificates, key pairs, secure communication, etc.)
  • Experience with market-data and messaging technologies common to electronic trading (e.g., multicast market data, low-latency messaging buses)
  • Experience with database management systems, preferably PostgreSQL

ABOUT US

JPMorganChase, one of the oldest financial institutions, offers innovative financial solutions to millions of consumers, small businesses and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Our history spans over 200 years and today we are a leader in investment banking, consumer and small business banking, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management.

We offer a competitive total rewards package including base salary determined based on the role, experience, skill set and location. Those in eligible roles may receive commission-based pay and/or discretionary incentive compensation, paid in the form of cash and/or forfeitable equity, awarded in recognition of individual achievements and contributions. We also offer a range of benefits and programs to meet employee needs, based on eligibility. These benefits include comprehensive health care coverage, on-site health and wellness centers, a retirement savings plan, backup childcare, tuition reimbursement, mental health support, financial coaching and more. Additional details about total compensation and benefits will be provided during the hiring process. 

We recognize that our people are our strength and the diverse talents they bring to our global workforce are directly linked to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer and place a high value on diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. We also make reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as mental health or physical disability needs. Visit our FAQs for more information about requesting an accommodation.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disability/Veterans

ABOUT THE TEAM

Our Global Technology Infrastructure group is a team of innovators who love technology as much as you do. Together, you'll use a disciplined, innovative and a business focused approach to develop a wide variety of high-quality products and solutions. You'll work in a stable, resilient and secure operating environment where you - and the products you deliver - will thrive.

High Risk Roles (HRR) are sensitive roles within the technology organization that require high assurance of the integrity of staff by virtue of 1) sensitive cybersecurity and technology functions they perform within systems or 2) information they receive regarding sensitive cybersecurity or technology matters. Users in these roles are subject to enhanced pre-hire screening which includes both criminal and credit background checks (as allowed by law). The enhanced screening will need to be successfully completed prior to commencing employment or assignment.