Freelance Linux Kernel Development Jobs in Kentucky

Systems Engineer- Linux/ Yocto This role has been designed as 'Hybrid' with a requirement that you will work on average 2 days per week from an HPE office.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the global edge-to-cloud company advancing the way people live and work. We help companies connect, protect, analyze, and act on their data and applications wherever they live, from edge to cloud, so they can turn insights into outcomes at the speed required to thrive in today’s complex world. Our culture thrives on finding new and better ways to accelerate what’s next. We know varied backgrounds are valued and succeed here. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good.

If you are looking to stretch and grow your career our culture will embrace you. Open up opportunities with HPE.

Join us in building a next-generation Network Operating System. You’ll work across the Linux kernel, OS infrastructure, and user-space software on x86 and ARM platforms, driving performance, reliability, security, and scalability.

Develop and maintain Linux kernel, platform, and infrastructure software.

Debug and resolve complex bugs, security vulnerabilities, and integration issues across the software stack.

Build and maintain Yocto-based distributions, including layers, recipes, packaging, and backports.

Enable new hardware platforms and support BSP development.

Improve system performance, automation, testing, and developer productivity.

Collaborate across hardware, platform, and software teams to deliver production-quality solutions.

• Strong low-level systems programming in C/C++.
• Deep understanding of Linux kernel internals, OS fundamentals, data structures, and algorithms.
• Experience debugging and maintaining Linux kernel and user-space components.
• Strong Yocto Project expertise, including layer management, recipe development, backporting, and package integration.
• Strong understanding of compiler optimizations, C/C++ undefined behavior, memory models, and how modern compilers leverage these assumptions for optimization.
• Experience with x86/ARM systems, BSP development, and hardware bring-up.
• Hands‑on knowledge of PCIe, SPI, I2C, GPIO, MDIO, and interrupt handling.
• Strong problem‑solving, debugging, and collaboration skills.

• Experience with networking protocols and network operating systems.
• Automated testing, CI/CD, and workflow automation.
• Experience with Patch management, backporting, and conflict resolution.
• Familiarity with Git and modern development practices.
• Experience with embedded systems and device drivers.

• Linux kernel or open-source contributions.
• Experience with eBPF, perf, ftrace, or performance analysis.
• Familiarity with systemd.
• Knowledge of Debian packaging.

HPE is an Equal Employment Opportunity/ Veterans/Disabled/LGBT employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or any other protected category, and all decisions we make are made on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. Our goal is to be one global team that is representative of our customers, in an inclusive environment where we can continue to innovate and grow together.

• Health & Wellbeing We strive to provide our team members and their loved ones with a comprehensive suite of benefits that supports their physical, financial and emotional wellbeing.
• Personal & Professional Development We also invest in your career because the better you are, the better we all are. We have specific programs catered to helping you reach any career goals you have - whether you want to become a knowledge expert in your field or apply your skills to another division.
• Unconditional Inclusion We are unconditionally inclusive in the way we work and celebrate individual uniqueness. We know varied backgrounds are valued and succeed here. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good.

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