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Linux Kernel Developer Jobs in Houston, TX (NOW HIRING)

Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

AI Engineer II

Houston, TX · 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 ...

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

AI Engineer II

Houston, TX · 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 ...

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All JobsLinux Kernel Developer JobsLinux Kernel Developer Jobs in Houston, TX

Linux Kernel Developer information

See Houston, TX salary details

$96.4K

$142.3K

$168K

How much do linux kernel developer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 28, 2026, the average yearly pay for linux kernel developer in Houston, TX is $142,284.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $130,300.00 and $157,500.00 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.

More about Linux Kernel Developer jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Linux Kernel Developer jobs in Houston, TX? The most popular types of Linux Kernel Developer jobs in Houston, TX are:
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What job categories do people searching Linux Kernel Developer jobs in Houston, TX look for? The top searched job categories for Linux Kernel Developer jobs in Houston, TX are:
What cities near Houston, TX are hiring for Linux Kernel Developer jobs? Cities near Houston, TX with the most Linux Kernel Developer job openings:
Linux Kernel Developer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Linux Kernel Developer job openings in Houston, TX as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 3% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 90% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $142,284 per year, or $68.4 per hour.

Senior System Administrator

Foxconn Industrial Internet - FII

Houston, TX • On-site

$82K - $111K/yr

Full-time

Posted 9 days ago

Job description

Job Description
1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
● 1.1. Objective: The purpose of this document is to define the expert-level technical criteria, structural engineering responsibilities, and leadership expectations for the Senior IT System Administrator role at Foxconn Industrial Internet.
● 1.3. Mission: The Senior System Administrator is responsible for designing, optimizing, and securing the organization's global enterprise server infrastructure, data storage, virtualization layers, and cloud ecosystems. Serving as the Tier-3 escalation point for all enterprise system issues, this role leads complex datacenter migrations, cloud-native transformations, and ensures business continuity across all production-critical systems.
2. CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
● Architecture & Infrastructure Design: Lead the design, sizing, implementation, and lifecycle management of enterprise server infrastructure, high-performance storage arrays (SAN/NAS), hyper-converged systems (HCI), and hybrid cloud environments.
● Tier-3 Escalation & Problem Management: Serve as the ultimate internal technical authority for complex server operating system anomalies, Active Directory forest-level issues, virtualization deadlocks, and critical storage failures. Lead root-cause analysis (RCA) and emergency recovery during high-priority (P1/P0) system outages.
● Infrastructure as Code (IaC) & Automation: Drive the automation strategy for system provisioning, configuration management, and patching. Design, build, and maintain automation pipelines to eliminate manual overhead and enforce standard system baselines.
● Cloud & Hybrid Integration: Architect and manage enterprise workloads across public cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) and on-premises datacenters. Lead migrations from legacy infrastructures to highly redundant, cloud-native or hybrid models.
● Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (BC/DR): Design, implement, and periodically test enterprise-grade disaster recovery architectures, automated backup strategies, and multi-site replication policies to guarantee strict Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO).
● Security hardening & Compliance: Oversee system security hardening in alignment with international standards (such as ISO 27001 or NIST). Manage enterprise identity services, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), and patch compliance matrices across thousands of endpoints.
● Capacity Planning & Budget Input: Conduct technical audits and deep capacity analysis of compute, memory, and storage footprints. Provide data-driven recommendations and technical inputs for annual IT capital expenditure (CapEx) and operational expenditure (OpEx) budgeting.
05/2026 Senior System Administrator version 1.0
● Leadership & Mentorship: Establish corporate system engineering standards and approve technical Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Actively mentor and cross-train junior system administrators and network engineers to elevate overall team capabilities.
3. TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS
3.1. Education and Certification
● Academic Background: A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Management Information Systems, or a strictly related field is required.
● Professional Credentials: Active expert-level certifications are highly preferred, such as MCSE (Core Infrastructure), VMware VCP/VCAP (DCV), Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE), or Professional Cloud Architect certifications (AWS Professional / Azure Solutions Architect Expert).
3.2. Enterprise Operating Systems & Directory Services
● Advanced Active Directory & IAM: Deep expertise in managing enterprise Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) in multi-domain/multi-forest environments, including Group Policy (GPO) architecture, trust relationships, Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS), and seamless synchronization with Azure AD / Entra ID.
● Linux/Unix Expertise: Expert-level administration of enterprise Linux distributions (RHEL, Ubuntu Server). Advanced mastery of performance tuning, kernel parameters optimization, systemd troubleshooting, and deep shell scripting (Bash).
● Windows Server Mastery: In-depth knowledge of Windows Server (2019/2022) clustering, Storage Spaces Direct (S2D), and advanced troubleshooting of core network services (DNS, DHCP, NPS) at scale.
3.3. Virtualization, Storage & Cloud Architecture
● Enterprise Virtualization: Expert-level configuration, management, and troubleshooting of VMware vSphere suites (vCenter, ESXi, vSAN, NSX). Proven experience deploying and maintaining high-availability (HA) clusters, Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS), and live migration mechanics.
● Storage Area Networks (SAN/NAS): Advanced management of enterprise-grade storage hardware (e.g., Dell EMC, NetApp, Pure Storage) utilizing Fibre Channel (FC), iSCSI, and NFS protocols. Designing robust multi-pathing (MPIO) and fabric configurations.
● Containerization & Orchestration: Foundational-to-advanced experience with Docker container environments and orchestration platforms like Kubernetes (K8s) or Red Hat OpenShift in a production setting.
05/2026 Senior System Administrator version 1.0
3.4. DevOps, Automation & Tooling
● Configuration Management: Mastery of configuration management and deployment automation tools such as Ansible, Terraform, Puppet, or Chef.
● Advanced Scripting: High proficiency in building robust scripts using PowerShell or Python to query APIs, automate auditing, and manipulate complex data structures.
● Enterprise Monitoring & Observability: Design and optimization of centralized monitoring systems (e.g., Zabbix, Prometheus/Grafana, Datadog) with customized alerting thresholds, log aggregation, and synthetic transactions monitoring.
4. PHYSICAL AND OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
● Critical Infrastructure Availability: Flexibility to lead high-risk infrastructure upgrades during scheduled weekend maintenance windows. Must participate in a Tier-3 on-call rotation to support 24/7/365 production facility uptime.
● Datacenter Governance: Superior understanding of modern datacenter physics, including hot/cold aisle containment, power distribution unit (PDU) calculations, and thermal environmental optimization.
5. SECURITY & COMPLIANCE
● 5.1. Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA): Due to unrestricted privileged access (Domain Admin / Root) to critical intellectual property and industrial automation data, execution of a comprehensive NDA and IP agreement is mandatory.
● 5.2. Background Check: Must pass an extensive, executive-level pre-employment background and professional credential check.

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