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Linux Kernel Engineer Jobs in Seattle, WA (NOW HIRING)

HPC Performance Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site +1

$165K - $242K/yr

Linux Kernel (custom build), Ubuntu * Intel/AMD/ARM CPUs, Nvidia GPUs, DPUs, Infiniband and ... Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related ...

Proficiency with Linux kernel and middleware development on ARM architecture. * Experience with ... MS or BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, and ...

... Linux kernel customization • Experience with Android or Linux performance tools and security models • Former Meta experience is a plus (having worked on product teams or on devices in Reality ...

Sr. Software Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$248K - $348K/yr

Develop and maintain Linux kernel modules and device drivers to support custom hardware and ... Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, or related STEM discipline, or 10+ ...

Sr. Mobile Engineer

Bellevue, WA · On-site

$150K - $188K/yr

Hi, We required Senior Mobile Engineer. These are direct hire permanent jobs with full benefits. If ... Should haveExperience with Linux kernel-space a plus * Should have Experience with networking ...

Sr. Software Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$248K - $348K/yr

Develop and maintain Linux kernel modules and device drivers to support custom hardware and ... Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, or related STEM discipline, or 10+ ...

The Apple Services Engineering (ASE) team builds the container and virtualization runtime ... Cloud security, Container / Linux Kernel security and API security Experience troubleshooting and ...

About the Role As a Staff Software Engineer for the Compute pillar, you will play a critical role ... Knowledge of Linux kernel internals, device drivers, and virtualization technologies (KVM, QEMU ...

Showing results 21-40

Linux Kernel Engineer information

See Seattle, WA salary details

$12.5K

$130.3K

$147.4K

How much do linux kernel engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average yearly pay for linux kernel engineer in Seattle, WA is $130,301.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $118,400.00 and $142,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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 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 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 most commonly searched types of Linux Kernel Engineer jobs in Seattle, WA?

The most popular types of Linux Kernel Engineer jobs in Seattle, WA are:

What are popular job titles related to Linux Kernel Engineer jobs in Seattle, WA?

For Linux Kernel Engineer jobs in Seattle, WA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Linux Kernel Engineer jobs in Seattle, WA look for?

The top searched job categories for Linux Kernel Engineer jobs in Seattle, WA are:

Infographic showing various Linux Kernel Engineer job openings in Seattle, WA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 4% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $130,301 per year, or $62.6 per hour.

HPC Performance Engineer

CoreWeave

Seattle, WA • On-site, Remote

$165K - $242K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 19 days ago


CoreWeave rating

9.8

Company rating: 9.8 out of 10

Based on 7 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

1st of 225 rated it services


Job description

What you'll do:

CoreWeave is seeking a highly skilled and motivated HPC Performance Engineer to join our HAVOCK Team, reporting into the Manager of Systems Engineering. In this role, you will play a crucial part in the design, development, and optimization of our bare-metal systems from POST through joining a Kubernetes cluster. The team's primary responsibilities include maintaining a custom Linux kernel, various OS images (Ubuntu-based), the virtualization stack (kubevirt/qemu/vfio), and the container/pod runtime stack (containerd/nydus/kubelet). You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, up stack engineering teams, and stakeholders to ensure our low-level software stack is performant in the context of hardware updates; and providing data, metrics, dashboards, and analysis to substantiate performance assertions.

Kernel Hardware - Acceleration - Virtualization - Operating Systems - Containerization - Kubelet

Our Team's Stack:

  • Python, Go, bash/sh, C
  • Prometheus, Victoria Metrics, Grafana
  • Linux Kernel (custom build), Ubuntu
  • Intel/AMD/ARM CPUs, Nvidia GPUs, DPUs, Infiniband and Ethernet NICs
  • Docker, kubernetes (k8s), KubeVirt, containerd, kubelet
About the role:
  • Develop and maintain tools for establishing systems performance baselines 
  • Develop and maintain performance regression analysis testing automation
  • Design and maintain performance regression test pipelines for HPC workloads
  • Debug and Tune fabric-level performance to ensure low-latency high throughput configurations
  • Development of telemetry for performance analysis across distributed clusters of servers
  • Triage and fix performance issues in Linux
  • Collect data, produce metrics and visualizations that communicate performance information compared to benchmarks; this data should lead to appropriate business decisions and toward greater automation that improves customer experience in relation to performance
  • Define Linux and OS requirements, specifications, and system architecture in relation to systems performance, in collaboration with cross-functional teams. Along with these responsibilities there will also be cross team collaboration to triage and resolve bottlenecks
Who you are:
  • 5+ years of professional experience in Systems/HPC Performance Engineering, Benchmarking, and/or Validation.
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
  • Strong experience with MPI workloads and distributed system performance analysis
  • Familiarity with RoCE, InfiniBand, and GPUDirect/Data Direct I/O, NUMA, etc in HPC workloads
  • Hands-on use of public HPC benchmarks (HPCC, HPL, OSU, MLPerf-HPC, STREAM, IO500)
  • Extensive, deep experience in Linux internals
  • Fluency with a programming language geared toward automation (Python preferred, but others possible)
  • Experience writing robust, testable code
  • Experience diagnosing and fixing systems performance issues
  • Experiencing with implementing automation testing
  • Ability to effectively prioritize and communicate proposed features and fixes in a remote-employee environment
  • Strong passion for automation, with a commitment to automating processes comprehensively
  • Excellent documentation skills and attention to detail
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities

Preferred:

  • Familiarity with QA/QE best practices
  • Familiarity with Golang
  • Opinions about software version control and team collaboration 
  • Experience working in Cloud environments
  • Experience as a software engineer writing large-scale applications
  • Experience in open-source community software development
  • Experience with machine learning is a huge bonus

Wondering if you're a good fit? We believe in investing in our people, and value candidates who can bring their own diversified experiences to our teams - even if you aren't a 100% skill or experience match.

Why CoreWeave?

At CoreWeave, we work hard, have fun, and move fast!  We're in an exciting stage of hyper-growth that you will not want to miss out on. We're not afraid of a little chaos, and we're constantly learning. Our team cares deeply about how we build our product and how we work together, which is represented through our core values: 

  • Be Curious at Your Core
  • Act Like an Owner
  • Empower Employees
  • Deliver Best-in-Class Client Experiences
  • Achieve More Together

We support and encourage an entrepreneurial outlook and independent thinking. We foster an environment that encourages collaboration and provides the opportunity to develop innovative solutions to complex problems. As we get set for take off, the growth opportunities within the organization are constantly expanding. You will be surrounded by some of the best talent in the industry, who will want to learn from you, too. Come join us!  

The base salary range for this role is $165,000 to $242,000. The starting salary will be determined based on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and market location. We strive for both market alignment and internal equity when determining compensation. In addition to base salary, our total rewards package includes a discretionary bonus, equity awards, and a comprehensive benefits program (all based on eligibility). 


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