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Linux Kernel Engineer Jobs in Ontario (NOW HIRING)

Senior Embedded Linux Engineer

Kitchener, ON · Hybrid

CA$100K - CA$150K/yr

Senior Embedded Linux Engineer Department: Inverter Firmware Compensation: $100,000 - $150,000 ... Design and maintain Board Support Packages (BSPs) including bootloaders, kernel configuration ...

Senior Embedded Linux Engineer Department: Inverter Firmware Compensation: $100,000 - $150,000 ... Design and maintain Board Support Packages (BSPs) including bootloaders, kernel configuration ...

Senior Embedded Software Engineer

Ottawa, ON · On-site

CA$95K - CA$153K/yr

Apply Linux kernel, TCP/IP stack,forwardingtable, IP filtering, VLAN, and memory management ... Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science or equivalent * 6+ Years of experience with ...

Apply Linux kernel, TCP/IP stack, forwarding tables, IP filters, VLANs, and memory management ... Collaborate with engineering, architecture, and verification teams to resolve issues and support ...

Strong understanding of SOC controller/processor architecture, Linux kernel, and real-time OS ... Work closely with hardware/FPGA engineers to understand HW control architecture including CPU ...

Strong understanding of SOC controller/processor architecture, Linux kernel, and real-time OS ... Work closely with hardware/FPGA engineers to understand HW control architecture including CPU ...

Test Developer, Automation

Kanata, ON · Hybrid

CA$96K - CA$146K/yr

Bachelor's degree in computer science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or related ... Understanding of the Linux kernel and drivers is a plus. * Familiarity with core networking ...

Strong understanding of SOC controller/processor architecture, Linux kernel, and real-time OS ... Work closely with hardware/FPGA engineers to understand HW control architecture including CPU ...

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Linux Kernel Engineer information

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

AspectLinux Kernel EngineerLinux Device Driver Developer
Required SkillsDeep understanding of Linux kernel internals, C programming, system architectureProficiency in C, hardware interfaces, kernel modules, and device-specific programming
Work EnvironmentSystem-level development, kernel debugging, performance optimizationHardware interaction, driver development, testing on embedded or hardware platforms
Industry UsageOperating system development, open-source projects, enterprise Linux systemsHardware manufacturers, embedded systems, IoT devices
CertificationsLinux Foundation certifications, Linux kernel development coursesSimilar certifications, hardware-specific training

While both roles involve Linux kernel-related work, Linux Kernel Engineers focus on overall kernel development and optimization, whereas Linux Device Driver Developers specialize in creating and maintaining drivers for hardware components. The roles often overlap but differ in scope and focus areas.

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

To thrive as a Linux Kernel Engineer, you need deep expertise in C programming, operating systems concepts, and a strong understanding of Linux internals, often supported by a degree in computer science or related field. Familiarity with version control systems (such as Git), kernel debugging tools (like GDB or ftrace), and experience contributing to open-source projects are typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective written communication are crucial soft skills for collaborating with global developer communities. These skills ensure high-quality kernel development, efficient troubleshooting, and successful integration with the broader open-source ecosystem.

What are some common challenges Linux Kernel Engineers face when working on upstream contributions?

Linux Kernel Engineers often encounter challenges such as navigating complex codebases, adhering to strict coding and documentation standards, and coordinating with a diverse global community of maintainers and contributors. Getting patches accepted upstream requires thorough testing, clear communication, and addressing feedback from reviewers, which can be a time-consuming process. However, this collaborative environment fosters strong professional growth and ensures that engineers are constantly learning from industry experts.

What does a Linux Kernel Engineer do?

A Linux Kernel Engineer is responsible for developing, maintaining, and optimizing the core of the Linux operating system, known as the kernel. Their work involves writing and debugging low-level code, adding new features, fixing bugs, ensuring system security, and improving performance. They often collaborate with the open-source community and hardware manufacturers to ensure compatibility and stability across various platforms. This role requires strong programming skills, especially in C, and a deep understanding of operating system concepts.

What Does a Linux Kernel Engineer Do?

As a Linux kernel engineer, your responsibilities are to develop company or client operating systems that rely on Linux. Your duties involve writing code and working to test and debug the developments you make to the Linux kernel, which is the main component of a Linux operating system. You may check your code for security and ensure that the system interacts effectively and efficiently with software and applications. You may also work on the customization of the system to meet the needs of your employer or client.

What are popular job titles related to Linux Kernel Engineer jobs in Ontario? For Linux Kernel Engineer jobs in Ontario, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Linux Kernel Engineer jobs in Ontario look for? The top searched job categories for Linux Kernel Engineer jobs in Ontario are:
What are popular job titles related to Linux Kernel Engineer jobs in ON? For Linux Kernel Engineer jobs in ON, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Infographic showing various Linux Kernel Engineer job openings in Ontario as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution.

Senior Embedded Engineer, AI IP

Tenstorrent

Toronto, ON

Other

Re-posted 3 days ago


Job description

We are seeking a Software Driver Developer to create reference drivers for our AI-IP in a reference system.  You will also support our AI-IP customer optimizing our reference driver into our customer specific systems.  

This role is hybrid, based out of Toronto, ON.

We welcome candidates at various experience levels for this role. During the interview process, candidates will be assessed for the appropriate level, and offers will align with that level, which may differ from the one in this posting.

Who You Are

  • Deep systems engineer with 7+ years of experience in device drivers or low-level systems programming.
  • Strong proficiency in C and C++ with a solid understanding of hardware-software interfaces.
  • Hands-on experience developing Linux kernel drivers, including kernel architecture, debugging, and kernel-space/user-space interactions.
  • Experience developing drivers for high-speed I/O or interconnect technologies such as PCIe; PCIe driver development is strongly preferred.
  • Familiar with user-mode and kernel-mode driver models and understands that Linux kernel driver development differs meaningfully from bare-metal or RTOS-based driver development.

What We Need

  • Design and evolve the driver layer that provides high-performance APIs for Tenstorrent devices.
  • Develop and maintain user-mode and kernel-mode drivers for Tenstorrent hardware, including Linux kernel drivers for system integration.
  • Define driver interfaces and specifications that enable the broader software stack to run across internal and third-party hardware.
  • Collaborate with kernel and hardware teams to ensure efficient cross-layer design, performance, and PCIe-based device integration.
  • Support external integrations by driving performance engineering, benchmarking, profiling, and optimization of APIs and driver paths in customer environments, including safety-critical use cases where applicable.

What You Will Learn

  • How user-mode and Linux kernel drivers are designed for high-performance AI hardware.
  • How PCIe and other system interconnects are used to integrate accelerator hardware into production platforms.
  • How hardware-software interfaces are defined to support scalable and portable systems.
  • How performance is optimized across memory, compute, and communication layers.
  • How safety and reliability requirements influence modern driver architecture, including in automotive and mission-critical systems.

Tenstorrent offers a highly competitive compensation package and benefits, and we are an equal opportunity employer.