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Linux Kernel Developer Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Full Stack Engineer Manager

Chicago, IL · On-site

$94K - $293K/yr

... developer workflows. * You are a collaborative technical leader, mentoring teammates, sharing ... Strong proficiency in Linux, with a deep understanding of operating systems at the kernel level

... Linux operating systems, network configuration, and server management * Strong understanding of ... kernel bypass technology * Proficiency in Python and Bash * Demonstrated curiosity and hands-on ...

Trading Engineer - Execution

Chicago, IL · On-site

$175K - $225K/yr

... Linux operating systems, network configuration, and server management * Strong understanding of ... kernel bypass technology * Proficiency in Python and Bash * Demonstrated curiosity and hands-on ...

AI Engineer II

Chicago, IL · On-site

$116K - $144K/yr

Develop and enhance automated pipelines for AI delivery using tools like Azure DevOps, GitHub ... Experience with GPU environments, Linux systems, and frameworks such as LangChain, Semantic Kernel ...

Trading Engineer - Execution

Chicago, IL · On-site

$175K - $225K/yr

... Linux operating systems, network configuration, and server management * Strong understanding of ... kernel bypass technology * Proficiency in Python and Bash * Demonstrated curiosity and hands-on ...

Staff Site Reliability Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$58.75 - $78/hr

... DevOps Director. The Site Reliability Engineering team drives reliability strategy, elevates ... Deep Linux expertise - from kernel internals and system performance tuning to hardening and ...

Staff Site Reliability Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$58.75 - $78/hr

... DevOps Director. The Site Reliability Engineering team drives reliability strategy, elevates ... Deep Linux expertise - from kernel internals and system performance tuning to hardening and ...

Staff Site Reliability Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$58.75 - $78/hr

... DevOps Director. The Site Reliability Engineering team drives reliability strategy, elevates ... Deep Linux expertise - from kernel internals and system performance tuning to hardening and ...

Staff Site Reliability Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$58.75 - $78/hr

... DevOps Director. The Site Reliability Engineering team drives reliability strategy, elevates ... Deep Linux expertise - from kernel internals and system performance tuning to hardening and ...

Staff Site Reliability Engineer

Chicago, IL

$58.75 - $78/hr

... DevOps Director. The Site Reliability Engineering team drives reliability strategy, elevates ... Deep Linux expertise -- from kernel internals and system performance tuning to hardening and ...

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Showing results 1-20

Linux Kernel Developer information

See Chicago, IL salary details

$104.1K

$153.7K

$181.4K

How much do linux kernel developer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for linux kernel developer in Chicago, IL is $153,677.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $140,700.00 and $170,100.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges Linux Kernel Developers face when integrating new features or patches?

Linux Kernel Developers often encounter challenges such as ensuring compatibility with a wide range of hardware architectures and maintaining stability across diverse distributions. Integrating new features or patches requires rigorous code review, thorough testing, and clear communication with the broader open-source community. Developers must also keep up with the kernel's fast-paced development cycles and adhere to strict coding standards, which can be demanding but offers significant opportunities for learning and professional growth.

What Does a Linux Kernel Developer Do?

A Linux kernel developer uses computer code to create a program that functions as the core of a computer operating system. Your duties can include creating kernels for open-source operating systems for desktop computers, laptops, phones, and tablets. You can also develop programs for embedded systems for routers, smart devices, or automated machinery. Linux uses C programming languages, so you often write code in C and C++. In addition to your coding responsibilities, you also test and debug your programs. Your employer may ask you to develop applications, drivers, and other tools to use with your kernel.

What does a Linux Kernel Developer do?

A Linux Kernel Developer is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining the core part of the Linux operating system known as the kernel. Their work involves writing and reviewing code, debugging issues, implementing new features, and ensuring the kernel remains efficient and secure. They also collaborate with the open-source community to contribute patches and updates. Linux Kernel Developers play a crucial role in supporting hardware compatibility and system performance across various devices.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Linux Kernel Developer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Linux Kernel Developer, you need deep knowledge of C programming, operating system concepts, and experience with kernel development, often supported by a degree in computer science or related fields. Familiarity with tools such as Git, GDB, build systems, and patch submission processes, as well as experience contributing to open-source projects, is typically required. Strong problem-solving, attention to detail, and effective communication are critical soft skills for collaborating within the open-source community. These skills ensure high-quality code contributions, efficient troubleshooting, and successful integration with the broader Linux ecosystem.

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

AspectLinux Kernel DeveloperLinux Device Driver Developer
Required CredentialsProficiency in C, Linux kernel development experience, often a degree in Computer Science or related fieldSimilar credentials, with focus on device-specific programming and hardware knowledge
Work EnvironmentDeveloping and maintaining core kernel components, often in a Linux environmentWriting and debugging drivers for specific hardware devices within Linux
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, open-source projects, hardware manufacturersHardware manufacturers, embedded systems, specialized device companies

While both roles require strong C programming skills and Linux knowledge, Linux Kernel Developers focus on core kernel development, whereas Linux Device Driver Developers specialize in creating drivers for hardware components. The roles often overlap but differ in scope and focus within the Linux ecosystem.

What are the most commonly searched types of Linux Kernel Developer jobs in Chicago, IL? The most popular types of Linux Kernel Developer jobs in Chicago, IL are:
Infographic showing various Linux Kernel Developer job openings in Chicago, IL as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 83% Full Time, 5% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 11% Contract. Highlights an 82% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $153,677 per year, or $73.9 per hour.
Senior Software Engineer, Network Platform

Senior Software Engineer, Network Platform

Moonlite

Chicago, IL

$107K - $146K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement

Re-posted 12 days ago


Job description

Moonlite delivers high-performance AI infrastructure for organizations running intensive computational research, large-scale model training, and demanding data processing workloads. We provide infrastructure deployed in our facilities or co-located in yours, delivering flexible on-demand or reserved compute that feels like an extension of your existing data center. Our team of AI infrastructure specialists combines bare-metal performance with cloud-native operational simplicity, enabling research teams and enterprises to deploy demanding AI workloads with enterprise-grade reliability and compliance.

Your Role:

You will be foundational to building our software-defined networking (SDN) platform that enables high-performance, isolated networking for distributed computing, model training, inference, and data-intensive workloads. Working closely with our network, infrastructure, and product teams, you'll design and implement the network orchestration and provisioning systems that manage DPU-accelerated networking, tenant isolation, and network lifecycle management – enabling researchers and engineers to access enterprise-grade networking with cloud-like simplicity.

Job Responsibilities:
  • Software-Defined Networking Architecture: Collaborate with infrastructure to design and build scalable SDN orchestration systems leveraging NVIDIA Bluefield-3 DPUs to deliver programmable, high-performance networking for AI workloads with hardware-accelerated forwarding isolation.
  • Research Cluster Networking: Design and implement networking systems for research computing environments including Kubernetes and SLURM clusters, enabling high-performance connectivity, optimized network topology for distributed workloads, and seamless integration with cluster orchestration systems.
  • Network Provisioning & Lifecycle Management: Implement automated SDN provisioning systems that handle VPC creation, subnet allocation, routing configuration, and network resource lifecycle from deployment through decommissioning.
  • DPU Platform Engineering: Develop platform capabilities for managing Bluefield-3 DPUs including SR-IOV virtual function management, OVS offload configuration, network function deployment, and integration with compute orchestration systems.
  • Multi-Tenancy & Network Isolation: Build enterprise-grade network isolation using VPCs, VXLAN, and hardware-accelerated forwarding to ensure complete tenant separation while maintaining high-performance connectivity for GPU clusters and distributed workloads.
  • High-Performance Networking: Collaborate with infrastructure to optimize network paths for RDMA, RoCE, and GPU-to-GPU communication, ensuring minimal latency and maximum throughput for distributed training and large-scale computational workloads.
  • Network APIs & Integration: Develop robust APIs and SDKs for network resource management that integrate seamlessly with compute and storage platforms, enabling programmatic network provisioning and configuration.
  • Network Observability: Implement comprehensive network monitoring, telemetry, and troubleshooting systems that provide visibility into network performance, utilization, and tenant traffic patterns.Security & Policy Management: Build platform network security features including security groups, firewall rules, and policy enforcement that protect tenant workloads while enabling flexible network configuration.
Requirements:
  • Experience: 5+ years in software engineering with proven experience building network platforms, SDN systems, or network automation for production environments.
  • Kubernetes Networking & Container Orchestration: Strong familiarity with Kubernetes networking architecture, CNI plugins, service networking, and network policies. Understanding of pod networking, services, ingress, and how Kubernetes manages network resources.
  • Networking Expertise: Deep understanding of networking fundamentals including TCP/IP, VLANs, VXLAN, BGP, OSPF, routing protocols, and data center network architectures.Software-Defined Networking: Background in SDN concepts, network virtualization, overlay networks, and programmable networking technologies.
  • Programming Skills: Experience with Go and Python for performance-critical networking components and services is highly valued.
  • Linux Networking: Strong experience with Linux networking stack, including network namespaces, iptables/nftables, Open vSwitch, and kernel networking systems.
  • DPU & SmartNIC Experience: Familiarity with DPU/SmartNIC architectures (Bluefield, or similar), SR-IOV, hardware offload capabilities, and programmable networking hardware – or strong ability to learn quickly.
  • High-Performance Networking: Understanding of RDMA, RoCE, Infiniband, and low-latency networking requirements for distributed computing and GPU workloads.
  • Problem-Solving & Architecture: Demonstrated ability to solve complex networking performance and scalability challenges while balancing pragmatic shipping with good long-term architecture.
  • Autonomy & Communication: Comfortable navigating ambiguity, defining requirements collaboratively, and communicating technical decisions through clear documentation.
  • Commitment to Growth: Growth mindset with continuous focus on learning and professional development.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Background provisioning or managing networking for research computing environments (Kubernetes, SLURM, or HPC clusters)
  • Experience with NVIDIA Bluefield DPU programming and DOCA framework
  • Background with network function virtualization (NFV) and service function chaining
  • Knowledge of Kubernetes networking (CNI plugins, network policies, service mesh)
  • Experience building network control planes or SDN controllers
  • Familiarity with network automation frameworks and infrastructure-as-code for networking
  • Understanding of data center fabric architectures (spine-leaf, CLOS topologies)
  • Experience with network security and compliance requirements in regulated industries
  • Background building networking for research institutions, HPC environments, or cloud providers
Key Technologies
  • Go, Python, NVIDIA Bluefield DPUs, Open vSwitch, VXLAN, SR-IOV, RDMA, RoCE, InfiniBand, BGP, Linux networking, Terraform, FastAPI, gRPC
Why Moonlite
  • Build Next-Generation Infrastructure: Your work will create the platform foundation that enables financial institutions to harness AI capabilities previously impossible with traditional infrastructure.
  • Hands-On Ownership: As an early engineer, you'll have end-to-end ownership of projects and the autonomy to influence our product and technology direction.
  • Shape Industry Standards: Contribute to defining how enterprise AI infrastructure should work for the most demanding regulated environments.
  • Collaborate with Experts: Work alongside seasoned engineers and industry professionals passionate about high-performance computing, innovation, and problem-solving.
  • Start-Up Agility with Industry Impact: Enjoy the dynamic, fast-paced environment of a startup while making an immediate impact in an evolving and critical technology space.

We offer a competitive total compensation package combining a competitive base salary, startup equity, and industry-leading benefits. The total compensation range for this role is $165,000 – $225,000, which includes both base salary and equity. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, skills, and market alignment. We provide generous benefits, including a 6% 401(k) match, fully covered health insurance premiums, and other comprehensive offerings to support your well-being and success as we grow together.

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