Linux Product Team Lead

DroneShield; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

DroneShield seeks a Linux Product Team Lead to own the Linux platform powering the DroneSentry-C2 ecosystem. The role combines hands-on platform engineering with leadership of the Linux product team across development, production and deployed environments.

You will collaborate with Software, AI, Security, Infrastructure and Product teams to deliver secure, scalable Linux platforms and services, supporting field hardware and edge deployments in mission-critical contexts.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience operating and debugging Linux systems (Ubuntu, Debian, RHEL or Yocto-based).
• Strong understanding of Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) principles, including reliability, scalability, observability, operational excellence and supply chain security.
• Experience leading engineers, technical projects and/or platform teams.
• Deep understanding of Linux internals including kernel, init systems, udev, cgroups and bootloaders.
• Proficiency in Bash scripting and at least one additional language (e.g. Python, Go).
• Experience with secure boot, TPMs, disk encryption and OS-level security controls.
• Experience building or managing custom Linux images for embedded or production use.
• Experience defining and operating SLOs, SLIs, alerting frameworks and incident management processes.
• Experience with monitoring, logging, tracing, alerting and observability platforms.
• Experience troubleshooting complex infrastructure, platform and production issues.
• Familiarity with PXE, systemd services, Kickstart/preseed or cloud-init workflows.
• Strong networking fundamentals including routing, DNS, firewalls and VLANs.
• Experience with containerisation, Kubernetes and modern CI/CD practices.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code and configuration management tooling.
• Experience building Linux-based products, appliances or embedded systems.
• Experience supporting edge computing or air-gapped environments.
• Experience with AWS, hybrid cloud or distributed infrastructure.
• Familiarity with software supply chain security and SBOM management.
• Background in secure infrastructure or regulated environments (e.g. defence, critical systems).
• Contributions to open-source Linux or OS infrastructure tooling.
• Experience building developer platforms and internal engineering tooling.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor the Linux Product Team.
• Define technical direction, standards and roadmap for the Linux platform.
• Own the configuration, tuning and lifecycle of Linux systems across DroneShield products.
• Build and maintain secure Linux images for server, edge and embedded platforms.
• Optimise performance, reliability and security across Linux platforms.
• Automate provisioning, patching, configuration management and diagnostics.
• Lead OS hardening initiatives including secure boot, TPM integration and platform security controls.
• Design and implement observability, monitoring and telemetry standards.
• Establish reliability engineering practices including service health metrics, alerting and incident management.
• Maintain Ubuntu Classic and Ubuntu Core platforms across x86 and ARM environments.
• Provide Level 3 support for OS and system-level issues.
• Collaborate with Software, AI, Security and Product teams to ensure platform stability, scalability and traceability.
• Document architecture, standards, operational procedures and recovery processes.

Skills

Linux platforms

SRE principles

Team leadership

Linux internals

Bash scripting

Python/Go

Secure boot/TPMs

Custom Linux images

SLOs/SLIs

Observability/monitoring

Kubernetes

IaC / configuration

Edge/embedded systems

AWS / hybrid cloud

Open-source contributions

Tools

Ubuntu/Debian/RHEL/Yocto

PXE/systemd/Kickstart/cloud-init

SBOM / software supply chain

Job description

Work with cutting-edge AI technology that helps make the world a safer and more secure place. DroneShield (ASX:DRO) develops market-leading counter-drone solutions used by military organisations, government agencies, airports, critical infrastructure operators, and law enforcement operating in some of the most challenging and high-stakes environments in the world. Employees work at the forefront of innovation, solving complex technical problems and delivering mission-critical capabilities where performance, reliability, and speed matter.

As an ASX200-listed company and the world's only publicly listed pure-play counter-drone business, DroneShield is experiencing rapid growth. Revenue increased from A$57 million in 2024 to more than A$217 million in 2025, supported by record profitability, a global sales pipeline exceeding A$2.5 billion, and annual R&D investment of over A$50 million.

Since 2017, DroneShield has grown from 11 employees to more than 550 globally, with operations across Australia, the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, supporting customers in over 70 countries.

The role is based at DroneShield's Sydney headquarters, which houses corporate, commercial, engineering, and operational teams supporting the company's global growth and customer base.

About The Role

We are looking for a Linux Product Team Lead to lead and grow the C2 Linux Product Team, owning the Linux platform that underpins the DroneSentry-C2 ecosystem. This is a hands-on technical leadership role focused on Linux platform engineering, reliability, security, automation and observability across development, production and deployed customer environments.

Initially focused on the Linux platforms supporting the DroneSentry-C2 ecosystem, the role will progressively expand to establish platform standards, Linux capabilities and engineering practices across DroneShield's broader portfolio of internal and customer-facing products. You will lead the Linux Product Team and work closely with Software, AI, Security, Infrastructure and Product teams to deliver secure, scalable and highly reliable Linux platforms and services.

Key Areas Of Ownership Include

DroneSentry-C2 and ruggedised field hardware

Development and maintenance of secure Linux SOEs

Testing Linux compatibility and performance across server and edge platforms

Software supply chain security

Secure remote access platforms

Platform observability, monitoring and reliability

Providing L3 support for OS and system-level issues across production and deployed assets

If you're interested in solving hard problems, building platforms that need to withstand the attention of nation-state adversaries, and working alongside red and blue teams to continuously test, break and improve our systems, this is the role for you. You'll help build the platforms that power real-world defence capabilities, where security, reliability and operational excellence aren't nice-to-haves, they're mission-critical.

This role reports to the Director, AI Systems & Platforms.

Responsibilities, Duties And Expectations

• Lead and mentor the Linux Product Team
• Define technical direction, standards and roadmap for the Linux platform
• Own the configuration, tuning and lifecycle of Linux systems across DroneShield products
• Build and maintain secure Linux images for server, edge and embedded platforms
• Optimise performance, reliability and security across Linux platforms
• Automate provisioning, patching, configuration management and diagnostics
• Lead OS hardening initiatives including secure boot, TPM integration and platform security controls
• Design and implement observability, monitoring and telemetry standards
• Establish reliability engineering practices including service health metrics, alerting and incident management
• Maintain Ubuntu Classic and Ubuntu Core platforms across x86 and ARM environments
• Provide Level 3 support for OS and system-level issues
• Collaborate with Software, AI, Security and Product teams to ensure platform stability, scalability and traceability
• Document architecture, standards, operational procedures and recovery processes

Qualifications, Experience And Skills

• Extensive experience operating and debugging Linux systems (Ubuntu, Debian, RHEL or Yocto-based)
• Strong understanding of Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) principles, including reliability, scalability, observability, operational excellence and supply chain security
• Experience leading engineers, technical projects and/or platform teams
• Deep understanding of Linux internals including kernel, init systems, udev, cgroups and bootloaders
• Proficiency in Bash scripting and at least one additional language (e.g. Python, Go)
• Experience with secure boot, TPMs, disk encryption and OS-level security controls
• Experience building or managing custom Linux images for embedded or production use
• Experience defining and operating SLOs, SLIs, alerting frameworks and incident management processes
• Experience with monitoring, logging, tracing, alerting and observability platforms
• Experience troubleshooting complex infrastructure, platform and production issues
• Familiarity with PXE, systemd services, Kickstart/preseed or cloud-init workflows
• Strong networking fundamentals including routing, DNS, firewalls and VLANs
• Experience with containerisation, Kubernetes and modern CI/CD practices
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code and configuration management tooling
• Experience building Linux-based products, appliances or embedded systems
• Experience supporting edge computing or air-gapped environments
• Experience with AWS, hybrid cloud or distributed infrastructure
• Familiarity with software supply chain security and SBOM management
• Background in secure infrastructure or regulated environments (e.g. defence, critical systems)
• Contributions to open-source Linux or OS infrastructure tooling
• Experience building developer platforms and internal engineering tooling

Data Privacy

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