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Kernel Engineer Jobs in Oregon (NOW HIRING)

Sr. DevOps Engineer

Portland, OR · On-site

$75 - $85/hr

... engineer to own the build, test, and deployment pipeline for our distributed computer vision ... Demonstrated ownership of Linux fleets at scale - kernel, systemd, networking, package management

Sr. DevOps Engineer

Portland, OR · On-site

$103 - $117/hr

... engineer to own the build, test, and deployment pipeline for our distributed computer vision ... Demonstrated ownership of Linux fleets at scale -- kernel, systemd, networking, package management

Senior DevOps Engineer

Portland, OR · On-site

$75 - $85/hr

... engineer to own the build, test, and deployment pipeline for our distributed computer vision ... Demonstrated ownership of Linux fleets at scale -- kernel, systemd, networking, package management

211774 / C/C++ Developer

Hillsboro, OR · On-site

$53.25 - $72/hr

Experience in Linux/Android based kernel development * Excellent programming skills * Must have strong problem solving skills and communication skills * Work well in a team environment C/C ...

C/C++ Developer

Hillsboro, OR

$53.25 - $72/hr

... kernel development Excellent programming skills Must have strong problem solving skills and communication skills Work well in a team environment C/C++ Developer Nice to Have Skills Debug and ...

Collaborate closely with AI researchers, HW and SW architects, kernel and compiler authors and CUDA ... Strong proficiency in C++ and Python programming. Solid background in the fundamentals of Deep ...

AI Engineer

OR · On-site +1

AI Engineer Remote, USA; potential for minimal ad hoc travel EMKS is seeking an AI Engineer to ... Experience with LangChain, LlamaIndex, Semantic Kernel, or comparable AI frameworks. * Experience ...

Senior Software Engineer, CUDA Deep Learning Systems

OR · On-site +1

$122K - $161K/yr

Collaborate closely with AI researchers, HW and SW architects, kernel and compiler authors and CUDA ... Strong proficiency in C++ and Python programming. Solid background in the fundamentals of Deep ...

AI Engineer Temporary Assignment (through 2/13/2027) Remote, USA; potential for minimal ad hoc ... Experience with LangChain, LlamaIndex, Semantic Kernel, or comparable AI frameworks. * Experience ...

Senior AI Compiler Engineer, MLIR

OR · On-site +1

$122K - $161K/yr

Experience with GPU kernel generation targeting high performance and fast build times. Proficiency in GPU architecture with CUDA or OpenCL programming experience. A track record of mentoring early ...

Senior Performance Compiler Engineer - Triton

OR · On-site +1

$104K - $143K/yr

Designing and implementing compiler technology using MLIR to optimize high-level kernel ... Demonstrated strong C++ programming and software design skills, with an emphasis on performance ...

Showing results 21-40

Kernel Engineer information

What is a kernel engineer?

A Kernel Engineer is a software engineer who specializes in the development, maintenance, and optimization of operating system kernels, such as Linux or Windows. Their primary responsibilities include designing new kernel features, fixing bugs, improving performance, and ensuring compatibility with hardware. They often work closely with hardware manufacturers and other software developers to build stable and secure system foundations. Kernel Engineers must have a deep understanding of operating system internals, low-level programming (typically in C or C++), and computer architecture. This role is critical for maintaining and advancing the core components that allow computers and devices to function efficiently.

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

To thrive as a Kernel Engineer, you need deep expertise in C programming, operating system concepts, and low-level hardware interactions, typically supported by a degree in computer science or related fields. Familiarity with version control systems (like Git), debugging tools (such as GDB), and kernel development frameworks is crucial. Problem-solving, attention to detail, and effective communication are standout soft skills in this role. These skills enable the creation of reliable, efficient, and secure kernels that form the backbone of computing systems.

What are some typical challenges kernel engineers face when working on operating system updates?

Kernel Engineers often encounter challenges related to maintaining system stability and compatibility when implementing updates or new features. Ensuring that changes do not introduce regressions or security vulnerabilities requires thorough testing and collaboration with QA and other engineering teams. Additionally, Kernel Engineers need to keep up-to-date with hardware advancements and support a wide range of devices, which can add complexity to their work. Effective communication and strong problem-solving skills are essential for navigating these challenges and delivering high-quality code.

What is the difference between Kernel Engineer vs Device Driver Developer?

AspectKernel EngineerDevice Driver Developer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or higher in Computer Science, Linux/Unix knowledge, programming skills in C/C++Similar credentials, often with specialized knowledge in hardware and driver development
Work EnvironmentSystem-level development, kernel code, Linux/Unix environmentsHardware interaction, driver coding, embedded or OS-specific environments
Industry UsageOperating system development, open-source projects, hardware manufacturersHardware companies, embedded systems, OS vendors
Common Search/ComparisonKernel EngineerDevice Driver Developer

Kernel Engineers focus on developing and maintaining the core kernel of operating systems, ensuring system stability and performance. Device Driver Developers specialize in creating software that allows hardware components to communicate with the OS. While both roles require similar technical skills and often overlap, Kernel Engineers work on the entire kernel infrastructure, whereas Device Driver Developers concentrate on specific hardware interfaces.

What are popular job titles related to Kernel Engineer jobs in Oregon?

For Kernel Engineer jobs in Oregon, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Kernel Engineer jobs in Oregon look for?

The top searched job categories for Kernel Engineer jobs in Oregon are:

What cities in Oregon are hiring for Kernel Engineer jobs?

Cities in Oregon with the most Kernel Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Kernel Engineer job openings in Oregon as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 89% In-person, and 11% Remote job distribution.

Sr. DevOps Engineer

Fresh Consulting

Portland, OR • On-site

$75 - $85/hr

Contractor

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.


Job description

Position Overview
We're seeking an experienced senior development operations (DevOps) engineer to own the build, test, and deployment pipeline for our distributed computer vision platform running at edge sites across customer manufacturing floors. This is a full-time position working directly with our engineering team to harden our release process, drive deployment automation, and pioneer LLM-driven test generation and validation.
What You'll Do
  • Own and evolve the end-to-end release pipeline - branching strategy, build orchestration, artifact promotion, and rollback - across our Bazel monorepo and Python deployable units
  • Design and maintain Ansible-driven fleet automation for heterogeneous Linux edge nodes (Ubuntu LTS, NVIDIA driver stacks, Docker with NVIDIA runtime)
  • Manage all update tooling, currently written in Golang
  • Build LLM-powered automated testing systems: test generation from specs, flake triage, log/failure analysis, regression diffing, and release-note synthesis from commit and ticket history
  • Harden CI/CD for offline and bandwidth-constrained deployment targets (airgap wheel distribution, signed artifacts, deterministic builds)
  • Drive observability for releases - deployment telemetry, version drift detection, and post-deploy health validation across the fleet
  • Mentor engineers on release hygiene, reproducible builds, and infrastructure-as-code practices
What We're Looking For
  • 10+ years of professional experience in release engineering, DevOps, or SRE roles shipping production Linux systems
  • Deep curiosity for software, infrastructure, and applied AI - particularly using LLMs as production engineering tools, not just chat assistants
  • Expert-level Python (3.8+) with a strong grasp of packaging, dependency resolution, and PEP 440 versioning discipline
  • Demonstrated ownership of Linux fleets at scale - kernel, systemd, networking, package management
  • Excellence in technical communication, runbook authorship, and post-incident documentation
  • Strong systems thinking - comfortable reasoning about failure modes across hardware, OS, container, and application layers
Required Technical Skills
  • Expert proficiency with Ansible (roles, dynamic inventory, idempotent design); working knowledge of Terraform
  • Expert proficiency with Docker, including creation and lifecycle management of containers, image hardening, registry management and installing & configuring the NVIDIA container runtime
  • Production experience with Linux administration: systemd, networking (VLANs, DHCP, DNS), kernel/driver management (especially NVIDIA/DKMS), package and APT internals
  • Strong Python skills focused on tooling, automation, packaging (wheels, pip, private indexes), and subprocess/CI integration
  • Proficiency with Git workflows, branching strategies, and modern CI/CD systems (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or equivalent)
  • Experience designing and operating automated test infrastructure - unit, integration, hardware-in-the-loop, and end-to-end
  • Practical experience using LLMs (Anthropic, OpenAI, or local) as part of engineering workflows - test generation, code review augmentation, log analysis, or agentic tooling
Nice to Have
  • Bazel or similar monorepo build systems
  • Edge or embedded deployment experience
  • Tailscale, WireGuard, or zero-trust networking in production
  • gRPC/protobuf service ecosystems
  • Vault, PKI, or secrets management at fleet scale
  • Background in regulated or compliance-driven environments (CMMC, ISO 27001, SOC 2)
Compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Range $75/hr - $85/hr.