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Freelance Linux Kernel Development Jobs in New Jersey

Systems Engineer, Kernel

Livingston, NJ · On-site

$165K - $242K/yr

Who You Are: * 5+ years of professional experience in Linux kernel engineering or systems-level development. * Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or ...

You will be heavily involved in the hardening of the OS, development and running of deployment ... Very strong knowledge of the Linux platform, including regular system administration, kernel ...

Fully participate in all aspects of the product development cycle, including daily scrums, QA, bug ... Experience with writing Linux kernel modules Experience in designing, developing, debugging and ...

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Freelance Linux Kernel Development information

What are some common challenges faced by freelance Linux kernel developers when working with clients remotely?

Freelance Linux Kernel developers often encounter challenges such as navigating complex codebases without in-house support, aligning with clients’ specific kernel customization requirements, and ensuring thorough testing across diverse hardware environments. Effective communication is essential, as misunderstandings about project scope or technical specifications can arise without face-to-face interactions. Building strong documentation habits and using collaborative tools can help streamline workflows and maintain clarity throughout the development process.

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

To thrive as a Freelance Linux Kernel Developer, you need in-depth knowledge of C programming, operating system concepts, and Linux kernel architecture, often demonstrated by a degree in computer science or equivalent experience. Familiarity with version control systems like Git, debugging tools such as GDB, and open-source collaboration platforms is typically necessary. Strong problem-solving skills, self-motivation, and effective communication are crucial for managing independent projects and collaborating with distributed teams. These skills ensure you can deliver robust kernel code, troubleshoot complex issues, and contribute meaningfully to open-source projects or client requirements.

What is freelance Linux kernel development?

Freelance Linux kernel development involves independently working on the Linux operating system's core, either by contributing to the mainline kernel, developing custom modules, or supporting companies with kernel-level issues. Freelancers in this field often tackle tasks such as writing device drivers, optimizing system performance, or integrating hardware with Linux. The work requires deep expertise in C programming and an understanding of operating system concepts. Freelancers may collaborate with open-source communities or work directly with clients needing specialized Linux solutions.
What are the most commonly searched types of Linux Kernel Development jobs in New Jersey? The most popular types of Linux Kernel Development jobs in New Jersey are:
What are popular job titles related to Freelance Linux Kernel Development jobs in New Jersey? For Freelance Linux Kernel Development jobs in New Jersey, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Freelance Linux Kernel Development jobs in New Jersey look for? The top searched job categories for Freelance Linux Kernel Development jobs in New Jersey are:
What cities in New Jersey are hiring for Freelance Linux Kernel Development jobs? Cities in New Jersey with the most Freelance Linux Kernel Development job openings:

Systems Engineer, Kernel

CoreWeave

Livingston, NJ • On-site

$165K - $242K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 24 days ago


CoreWeave rating

9.8

Company rating: 9.8 out of 10

Based on 7 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

1st of 221 rated it services


Job description

CoreWeave is The Essential Cloud for AI™. Built for pioneers by pioneers, CoreWeave delivers a platform of technology, tools, and teams that enables innovators to build and scale AI with confidence. Trusted by leading AI labs, startups, and global enterprises, CoreWeave combines superior infrastructure performance with deep technical expertise to accelerate breakthroughs and turn compute into capability. Founded in 2017, CoreWeave became a publicly traded company (Nasdaq: CRWV) in March 2025. Learn more at www.coreweave.com.
What You'll Do:
CoreWeave is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Systems Kernel Engineer to join our HAVOCK Team, reporting into the Manager of Systems Engineering. In this role, you will be a key contributor to the stability, performance, and evolution of CoreWeave's Linux based infrastructure. As a kernel generalist, you will be responsible for debugging kernel-level issues, analyzing and fixing crashes, panics, dumps, and upstreaming fixes and features that improves the performance and reliability of our stack.
This position is ideal for someone who thrives in low-level systems engineering, and understands how modern workloads stress kernels, and is excited to work across a diverse hardware/software ecosystem including CPUs, GPUs, DPUs, networking, and storage.
Kernel Hardware - Acceleration - Virtualization - Operating Systems - Containerization - Kubelet
Our Team's Stack:
  • Python, Go, bash/sh, C
  • Prometheus, Victoria Metrics, Grafana
  • Linux Kernel (custom build), Ubuntu
  • Intel/AMD/ARM CPUs, Nvidia GPUs, DPUs, Infiniband and Ethernet NICs
  • Docker, kubernetes (k8s), KubeVirt, containerd, kubelet

Focus Areas:
  • Kernel Debugging - Analyze kernel crashes, oopses, panics, and dumps to identify root causes and propose fixes.
  • Upstream Contributions - Develop patches for the Linux kernel and upstream them where applicable (networking, storage, virtualization, GPU/DPU enablement).
  • Stack-Wide Support - Ensure kernel support and stability across:
    • Virtualization (KubeVirt, QEMU, vFIO)
    • Container runtimes (containerd, nydus, kubelet)
    • HPC/AI workloads (CUDA, GPUDirect, RoCE/InfiniBand)
  • Kernel-Hardware Enablement - Support new hardware bring-up across Intel, AMD, ARM CPUs, NVIDIA GPUs, DPUs, and NICs.
  • Performance & Stability - Tune kernel subsystems for latency, throughput, and scalability in distributed HPC/AI clusters.
About the role:
  • Triage and fix kernel crashes and performance regressions.
  • Develop, test, and upstream kernel patches relevant to CoreWeave's hardware/software environment.
  • Collaborate with hardware vendors and the Linux community on feature enablement.
  • Implement diagnostics and tooling for kernel-level observability.
  • Work closely with HPC and Fleet teams to ensure kernel readiness for production workloads.
  • Provide kernel-level expertise during incident response and root-cause investigations.
Who You Are:
  • 5+ years of professional experience in Linux kernel engineering or systems-level development.
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
  • Deep understanding of kernel internals (memory management, scheduling, networking, storage, drivers).
  • Experience debugging kernel crashes, dumps, and panics using tools like crash, gdb, kdump.
  • Strong C programming skills with the ability to write maintainable and upstream-quality code.
  • Experience working with kernel modules, drivers, and subsystems.
  • Strong problem-solving abilities with a "full-stack" systems perspective.

Preferred:
  • Contributions to the Linux kernel or related open-source projects.
  • Familiarity with virtualization (KVM, QEMU, VFIO) and container runtimes.
  • Networking stack expertise (InfiniBand, RoCE, TCP/IP performance tuning).
  • GPU/DPU bring-up and driver experience.
  • Experience in HPC or large-scale distributed systems.
  • Familiarity with QA/QE best practices
  • Experience working in Cloud environments
  • Experience as a software engineer writing large-scale applications
  • Experience with machine learning is a huge bonus

The base salary range for this role is $165,000 to $242,000. The starting salary will be determined based on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and market location. We strive for both market alignment and internal equity when determining compensation. In addition to base salary, our total rewards package includes a discretionary bonus, equity awards, and a comprehensive benefits program (all based on eligibility).
What We Offer
The range we've posted represents the typical compensation range for this role. To determine actual compensation, we review the market rate for each candidate which can include a variety of factors. These include qualifications, experience, interview performance, and location.
In addition to a competitive salary, we offer a variety of benefits to support your needs. The benefits below reflect our US-based offerings for full-time employees; for roles in other locations, benefits vary and are shared during the hiring process. These include:
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance - 100% paid for by CoreWeave
  • Company-paid Life Insurance
  • Voluntary supplemental life insurance
  • Short and long-term disability insurance
  • Flexible Spending Account
  • Health Savings Account
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Ability to Participate in Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)
  • Mental Wellness Benefits through Spring Health
  • Family-Forming support provided by Carrot
  • Paid Parental Leave
  • Flexible, full-service childcare support with Kinside
  • 401(k) with a generous employer match
  • Flexible PTO
  • Catered lunch each day in our office and data center locations
  • A casual work environment
  • A work culture focused on innovative disruption

California Applicants
California Consumer Privacy Act
Equal Opportunity & Accommodations
CoreWeave is an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace. All qualified applicants and candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information.
As part of this commitment and consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), CoreWeave will ensure that qualified applicants and candidates with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact: careers@coreweave.com.
Export Control Compliance
This position requires access to export controlled information. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations applicable to that information, applicant must either be (A) a U.S. person, defined as a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), (iii) refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, (B) eligible to access the export controlled information without a required export authorization, or (C) eligible and reasonably likely to obtain the required export authorization from the applicable U.S. government agency. CoreWeave may, for legitimate business reasons, decline to pursue any export licensing process.

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