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Kernel Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Senior OS/Kernel Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$143K - $186K/yr

About the Position We are seeking a senior OS / kernel engineer to join our SkyOS team. The team is responsible for the design and development of NIO's full-domain vehicle operating systems. The ...

Senior OS/Kernel Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$143.20 - $186/hr

We are seeking a senior OS / kernel engineer to join our SkyOS team. The team is responsible for the design and development of NIO's full-domain vehicle operating systems. The position will explore ...

Senior OS/Kernel Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$143K - $186K/yr

About the Position We are seeking a senior OS / kernel engineer to join our SkyOS team. The team is responsible for the design and development of NIO's full-domain vehicle operating systems. The ...

TPU Kernel Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$280K - $850K/yr

About the Role As a TPU Kernel Engineer, you'll be responsible for identifying and addressing performance issues across many different ML systems, including research, training, and inference. A ...

Developer Advocate

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$100 - $150/hr

About Kernel Kernel provides crazy fast, open source infrastructure for AI agents to use the internet. Our API allows developers to instantly spin up secure browsers and automate anything on the web.

VAST Data is looking for a Linux Kernel Developer to join our growing team! This is a great opportunity to be part of one of the fastest-growing infrastructure companies in history, an organization ...

Showing results 41-60

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.

More about Kernel Engineer jobs

What cities are hiring for Kernel Engineer jobs?

Cities with the most Kernel Engineer job openings:

What states have the most Kernel Engineer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Kernel Engineer jobs include:

Infographic showing various Kernel Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 86% In-person, and 14% Remote job distribution.

Senior Staff Linux Kernel Engineer

Crusoe

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$250 - $300/hr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 23 days ago


Job description

Crusoe is on a mission to accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence. As the only vertically integrated AI infrastructure company built from the ground up, we own and operate each layer of the stack — from electrons to tokens — to power the world's most ambitious AI workloads. When you join Crusoe, you join a team that is building the future, faster.

We're in the midst of the greatest industrial revolution of our time. The demand for AI compute is boundless, and power is a bottleneck. We're solving that — with an energy-first approach that makes AI infrastructure better for the world and faster for the people innovating with AI.

We're looking for problem-solving, opportunity-finding teammates with a sense of urgency, who believe in the scale of our ambition and thrive on a path not fully paved — people who want to grow their careers alongside a team of experts across energy, manufacturing, data center construction, and cloud services.

If you want to do the most meaningful work of your career, help our customers and partners advance their AI strategies, and be part of a high-performing team that believes in each other, come build with us at Crusoe.

About the Role:

You will set the technical direction for Crusoe's Linux kernel team, owning the roadmap and architecting critical development projects. This role requires a balance of high-level architectural design and hands-on kernel coding. You will tackle the most complex kernel problems while mentoring and growing the engineers around you to deliver production-ready infrastructure at scale.

What You'll Be Working On:
  • Virtualization Architecture: Design and implement advanced virtualization technologies tailored for GPU-accelerated AI and HPC workloads. You will optimize the stack for low latency and high scalability across hypervisors and device emulation.

  • Linux Kernel & Driver Development: Develop and maintain upstream-first kernel code and device drivers. You will optimize memory management, scheduling, and I/O subsystems proactively to support hardware accelerators and high-throughput compute use cases.

  • Debugging & Security: Perform deep-dive root-cause analysis of issues across the OS and hardware layers. You will lead the triage and backporting for kernel CVEs while building automated tooling for vulnerability analysis.

  • Leadership: Lead and grow a high-performing systems team. You will drive engineering excellence through technical mentorship, comprehensive code reviews, and alignment with product and hardware teams.

What You'll Bring to the Team:
  • 10+ years of experience in systems software engineering with at least 3 years in a technical leadership role managing low-level systems or infrastructure teams.

  • Expert-level knowledge of Linux kernel internals (memory management, scheduler, I/O) and virtualization technologies (KVM, Xen, or QEMU).

  • Strong C programming skills and fluency with the kernel development workflow, including patch submission and debugging security vulnerabilities.

  • Proficiency in modern systems programming (Go, Rust, or Python) and familiarity with CI/CD and deployment automation tooling.

Bonus Points
  • Familiarity with accelerators (GPUs, TPUs) and related technologies like CUDA or ROCm.

  • Experience with high-performance networking (e.g., InfiniBand, RoCE) and tuning virtualization stacks for HPC workloads.

Benefits:
  • Competitive compensation and equity packages

  • Restricted Stock Units

  • Paid time off, paid holidays & leave of absence programs

  • Comprehensive health, dental & vision insurance

  • Employer contributions to HSA account

  • Paid parental leave

  • Paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability

  • Professional development & tuition reimbursement

  • Mental health & wellness support

  • Commuter benefits (parking & transit)

  • Cell phone stipend

  • 401(k) Retirement plan with company match up to 4% of salary

  • Volunteer time off

  • Global travel insurance & emergency assistance

  • Daily meals allowance

  • Additional perks & programs specific to location

Compensation Range

Compensation will be paid in the range of up to $250,000 -$300,000 + Bonus. Restricted Stock Units are included in all offers. Compensation to be determined by the applicant's knowledge, education, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Crusoe is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, citizenship, marital status, sex/gender, sexual preference/ orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, national origin, or any other status protected by law or regulation.

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