Linux Kernel Firmware Engineer Jobs in Chicago, IL

Overview
We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Software Development Engineer (IC4) to support a critical customer engagement focused on edge infrastructure, consent and privacy compliance, and global system reliability.

This role is ideal for a deeply technical, ownership-minded engineer who can take a mission-critical, globally-deployed system end to end setting its technical direction, hardening its quality, and steering high-risk compliance rollouts with minimal oversight. The successful candidate will work closely with the program manager and customer stakeholders to ensure project success from initial definition through final delivery.

What your application must clearly show
We screen against the requirements below exactly as written your resume should make these easy to find:

• 8+ years of professional software development at a senior level.
• Production, hands-on C and C++ (plus Python and WASM toolchain exposure).
• Direct work on high-performance HTTP proxies (Apache Traffic Server, Nginx) or CDNs, with real HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2 depth.
• Linux kernel / systems-level troubleshooting and crash analysis.
• Ownership of a mission-critical, globally-deployed system, including automated test suites and CI/CD quality gates.

Shortly after you apply you will receive a short role-specific questionnaire completing it promptly is the fastest way to move into screening.

Required Credentials:

• Proven software development experience performing at or beyond a Senior (IC4) level, typically 8+ years of professional experience.
• Demonstrated track record of owning mission-critical, high-availability, globally-deployed production systems.

Required Qualifications:

• Strong, hands-on experience with C, C++, Python, and WASM toolchains.
• Strong working knowledge of HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2, including headers, cookies, caching, and connection handling in the context of edge proxies.
• Direct experience with high-performance HTTP proxies (for example, Apache Traffic Server / ATS or Nginx) or Content Delivery Networks (CDNs).
• Solid understanding of the Linux kernel, networking, and systems-level troubleshooting.
• Good understanding of crash analysis.
• Practical experience building comprehensive automated test suites and integrating quality gates into CI/CD pipelines for mission-critical systems.
• Proven ability to lead technical initiatives and complex problem-solving in high-risk production environments.
• Strong awareness of system dependencies and business impact, with experience managing complexity and tradeoffs.
• Excellent cross-functional communication and collaboration skills, including the ability to translate complex technical and legal requirements to non-technical audiences.

Useful Qualifications:

• Hands-on experience with third-party CDN platforms such as Cloudflare or Fastly, including WASM-based edge solutions.
• Familiarity with consent and privacy management platforms (for example, Didomi) and global privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA.
• Experience designing bucketed or percentage-based rollout controls for safe, gradual global deployments.
• Prior experience mentoring peers and guiding dependent engineering teams.

Scope and Solution Expectations:

• Maintain full technical ownership of the customer's cookie and consent management plugin, including its deployment, performance, and stability across all consuming properties.
• Formalize and drive the technical roadmap and operational excellence for the system, leading the design and architecture of medium-to-large components and driving cross-team standardization.
• Serve as the technical lead for high-risk, cross-functional consent and compliance rollouts that directly impact advertising revenue and legal requirements, and design and implement proactive risk-mitigation strategies such as bucketed or percentage-based rollout controls.
• Lead strategic initiatives such as third-party CDN proofs of concept (for example, Cloudflare and Fastly WASM-based solutions) to establish repeatable, portable architectural patterns for the customer's edge organization in support of long-term digital transformation and cost optimization.
• Establish system guardrails and improve core system quality, including comprehensive automated test coverage and platform-agnostic testing frameworks to eliminate critical regressions and ensure service stability.
• Translate complex technical and legal requirements across privacy, legal, and advertising teams, and provide mentorship and guidance to peers and dependent teams.
• Translate ambiguous, high-level business and compliance needs into reliable, globally-deployed system solutions.