1

Operating System Engineer Jobs in Tennessee (NOW HIRING)

Senior Systems Engineer

Knoxville, TN

$99K - $136K/yr

Over 200 units of the Eclipse11 MeV, negative ion cyclotron from Siemens are being operated in all ... Experience writing extensive project documentation and executing complex system testing * Ability ...

... Operating System Version 8.2 (or later) • Work with Data Ontap application layer tools such as Snapmirror, Snapvault, Snaprestore, and Snapdrive • Patch and manage Windows and Linux OS ...

... resolve technical system and equipment issues in cooperation with other related disciplines ... facilities operating within a nuclear regulated environment. Requires strong verbal and written ...

... resolve technical system and equipment issues in cooperation with other related disciplines ... facilities operating within a nuclear regulated environment. Requires strong verbal and written ...

... resolve technical system and equipment issues in cooperation with other related disciplines ... facilities operating within a nuclear regulated environment. Requires strong verbal and written ...

Sr. Midrange Engineer - IBMi

Nashville, TN

$100K - $138K/yr

LightEdge is looking for experienced technical individuals for our IBMi - Sr. Midrange Engineer ... Maintain and deploy IBMi operating system upgrades, cumulative PTF packages, group PTFs, and ...

Sr. Midrange Engineer - IBMi

Nashville, TN · On-site

$100K - $138K/yr

LightEdge is looking for experienced technical individuals for our IBMi - Sr. Midrange Engineer ... Maintain and deploy IBMi operating system upgrades, cumulative PTF packages, group PTFs, and ...

BME Manufacturing Engineer

Stanton, TN · On-site

$97K - $144K/yr

BME Manufacturing Engineer - positions offered by Ford Motor Company (Stanton, Tennessee). Note ... Maintain Launch Quality Operating System (LQOS) charts. Facilitate and coordinate weekly purchase ...

Operating Engineer (OE) - 5 Positions Location: Arnold AFB TN Function/Branch: O & M/Flight - VKF ... Install and maintain facility systems * Accomplishes maintenance and servicing to place and keep ...

New

Operating Engineer (OE) - 5 Positions Location: Arnold AFB TN Function/Branch: O & M/Flight - VKF ... Install and maintain facility systems * Accomplishes maintenance and servicing to place and keep ...

New

next page

Showing results 1-20

Operating System Engineer information

See Tennessee salary details

$48.6K

$115.5K

$151.6K

How much do operating system engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 18, 2026, the average yearly pay for operating system engineer in Tennessee is $115,462.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $88,900.00 and $142,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by Operating System Engineers when maintaining system stability in large-scale environments?

Operating System Engineers often encounter challenges such as managing software patching across diverse hardware, ensuring compatibility with legacy applications, and minimizing downtime during critical updates. In large-scale environments, balancing security with performance and reliability can be complex, especially when multiple teams depend on the systems. Effective communication with development, security, and IT operations teams is essential to address these issues proactively and maintain overall system stability.

What engineers make $500,000?

Senior engineers in specialized fields such as software engineering, data engineering, or cybersecurity can earn $500,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills, and in high-demand industries. These roles often require advanced certifications, leadership responsibilities, or working in competitive markets with high compensation packages.

What does an Operating System Engineer do?

An Operating System Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, maintaining, and optimizing operating systems that run on computers and servers. They work on the core components that manage hardware resources, enable software applications, and ensure system security and stability. Their duties often include writing system-level code, troubleshooting performance issues, implementing updates, and collaborating with hardware and software teams. Operating System Engineers play a critical role in ensuring that computing environments are efficient, reliable, and secure.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Senior operating system engineers, especially those with extensive experience, specialized skills, and certifications, can earn $300,000 or more annually. High compensation is often associated with roles in large tech companies, leadership positions, or engineers working on complex systems with advanced knowledge of hardware, virtualization, or security. Salary levels depend on location, company size, and individual expertise.

What is the difference between Operating System Engineer vs System Administrator?

AspectOperating System EngineerSystem Administrator
Primary FocusDesigning, developing, and optimizing operating systemsMaintaining, configuring, and supporting existing systems
Skills & CertificationsLinux/Unix, scripting, OS architecture, certifications like RHCE or Linux FoundationSystem management, network setup, troubleshooting, certifications like CompTIA Server+ or Microsoft Certified
Work EnvironmentDevelopment teams, R&D, engineering projectsIT support, data centers, enterprise environments
Industry UsageTech companies, hardware firms, software developmentCorporate IT, government agencies, healthcare, finance

While both roles involve working with operating systems, Operating System Engineers focus on designing and developing OS solutions, whereas System Administrators manage and support existing systems. The roles complement each other but serve different stages of the system lifecycle.

What does an OS engineer do?

An Operating System (OS) Engineer designs, develops, and maintains operating system software, ensuring efficient hardware and software integration. They troubleshoot system issues, optimize performance, and may work with tools like kernel development, scripting, and debugging. Strong knowledge of computer architecture, programming languages, and system security is essential for this role.

How hard is coding an OS?

Operating System Engineers typically find coding an OS to be highly complex due to the need for low-level programming, understanding hardware interactions, and managing system resources. It requires strong knowledge of programming languages like C or C++, familiarity with system architecture, and often involves debugging and testing in specialized environments. The work demands significant technical skill and experience, often gained through advanced education and hands-on practice.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Operating System Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Operating System Engineer, you need a deep understanding of computer science principles, operating system internals, and strong programming skills in languages like C, C++, or Rust, often backed by a relevant degree. Familiarity with kernel development, debugging tools, virtualization platforms, and experience with version control systems (such as Git) are typically required. Problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective communication are soft skills that set top performers apart. These skills ensure the reliability, performance, and security of operating systems, which are foundational to all computing environments.
What are popular job titles related to Operating System Engineer jobs in Tennessee? For Operating System Engineer jobs in Tennessee, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Operating System Engineer jobs in Tennessee look for? The top searched job categories for Operating System Engineer jobs in Tennessee are:
What cities in Tennessee are hiring for Operating System Engineer jobs? Cities in Tennessee with the most Operating System Engineer job openings:
Classified HPC Systems Engineer

Classified HPC Systems Engineer

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge, TN • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 6 days ago


Oak Ridge National Laboratory rating

9.3

Company rating: 9.3 out of 10

Based on 15 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

3rd of 103 rated laboratories


Job description

Requisition Id 16429
Overview:
We are hiring a HPC Systems Engineer to design, operate and maintain clusters, servers, and workstations supporting services where science happens at ORNL! This position resides in the Emerging Technologies & Computing team in the Research Computing group in the Information Technology Services Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
The Emerging Technology Computational Group facilitates ORNL goals through HPC systems engineering, integration, and support for the research community at ORNL. By providing design, deployment, optimization, monitoring, and tooling support across multiple clustered infrastructures, we facilitate Lab-wide R&D projects. Our HPC clusters range in scope from just a handful of nodes to over fifty-thousand cores.
We partner with ORNL research organizations to enable research excellence and delivery. We work with other clustered computing and HPC groups to help research programs identify the best solutions for their needs. When we build our customer's environments, our team collaborates to design, implement, and maintain the systems from inception to retirement.
Major Duties/Responsibilities:
  • Advocate and promote HPC and clustered computing services to researchers who process large data sets and/or develop code as a part of their project.
  • Ensure the availability, performance, scalability, and security of production systems.
  • Leverage automation and monitoring solutions that minimize our day-to-day maintenance and scout opportunities to optimize system management practices or system performance.
  • Collaborate with technical POCs for the programs that we support to install and help tune the performance of various scientific toolsets.
  • Deliver ORNL's mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace - in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications:
  • A BS degree in computer science, computer engineering, information technology, information systems, science, engineering, business, or a related discipline and a minimum of 5-7 years of aligned professional experience is required for consideration. An overall combination of equivalent education and experience may be considered.
  • 2 or more years with managing UNIX/Linux Systems.
  • 2 or more years of proven experience with configuration management and automation tools such as Git, Ansible, or Puppet.
  • Moderate proficiency in at least one scripting language such as Bash, Python, or others.
  • Experience performing advanced troubleshooting and system administration with Linux Servers.

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Active DOE Q, active DOD Top Secret, or active DOD TS/SCI clearance is heavily preferred for consideration.
  • Solid understanding of multiple operating systems and cluster technologies.
  • Experience performing advanced troubleshooting and system administration with Linux Servers.
  • A strong desire to innovate and identify new technologies and opportunities and be able to communicate the potential benefits of those choices to others within the team and our research partners.
  • A collaborative and upbeat approach to thrive on the opportunity to build trust and credibility and ultimately become a trusted advisor to our research teams.
  • Experience with Rocky/Centos/RHEL, Ubuntu, VMware.
  • Understanding of HPC platforms to support users with SLURM job submissions and troubleshooting.
  • Experience building and running containerized applications in an HPC environment.
  • Experience with multiple deployment mechanisms like Diskless, Warewulf, and traditional deployment (cobbler, PXEboot, and/or Bright).
  • Experience managing systems utilizing GPU (NVIDIA and AMD) clusters for AI/ML and/or image processing.
  • Knowledge of networking fundamentals including TCP/IP, traffic analysis, common protocols, and network diagnostics.
  • Experience with Infiniband networks and diagnostics.
  • Experience with performance and diagnostic tools for benchmarking, analysis and tuning of systems, networking, and storage.
  • Experience with Grafana, CheckMK, Nagios, Zabbix, SolarWinds, Ganglia, or other network and device monitoring systems.
  • Previous experience working in a government, scientific or other highly technical environment.
  • Good documentation skills, including ability to prepare simple documentation web pages.

Special Requirements:
  • Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
  • This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program.

About ORNL:
As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an impressive 80-year legacy of addressing the nation's most pressing challenges. Our team is made up of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals! Our goal is to create an environment where a variety of perspectives and backgrounds are valued, ensuring ORNL is known as a top choice for employment. These principles are essential for supporting our broader mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges facing the nation.
ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain individuals who demonstrate exceptional work behaviors. The laboratory provides a range of employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to support the well-being of you and your family. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also available for added convenience.
Other benefits include the following: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Contributory Pension Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Benefits, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.
If you have difficulty using the online application system or need an accommodation to apply due to a disability, please email: ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov
This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.
We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.
ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.

What Oak Ridge National Laboratory employees say

Pay

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom