Kernel Research Engineer

Microtech Global Ltd; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A technology company in the UK is seeking a Kernel Research Engineer to research and develop CPU microarchitectural features optimized for a custom OS kernel. Responsibilities include designing core kernel subsystems and hardware-software co-optimization techniques. The ideal candidate will hold a Master's or PhD in a relevant field and possess extensive experience with Linux kernel development along with strong programming knowledge in C, C++, assembly, and Python. This is a Full-Time, On-Site role in Cambridge, UK.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD degree in a relevant field.
• Extensive experience with Linux kernel development.
• Strong programming skills in C, C++, assembly, and Python.

Responsibilities

• Research and develop CPU microarchitectural features for a custom OS kernel.
• Design, develop, and optimize core kernel subsystems.
• Optimize kernel for power efficiency and consumption.

Skills

Computer architectures

Operating system internals

Mobile SoC design

Linux kernel development

Programming in C

Programming in C++

Assembly programming

Python programming

Performance profiling

Education

Master's or PhD degree in Computer Science/Engineering/Physics

Tools

Kernel profiling tools (perf, ftrace, eBPF, LTTng, SystemTap)

Job description

Job Title: Kernel Research Engineer

Location: Cambridge, UK (Full Time On-Site)

Type: Fixed Term Contract

Duration: 12 Months (Highly Likely to Extend)

Key Responsibilities

• Research and develop CPU microarchitectural features optimized for our custom OS kernel and framework including ArkUI and ArkTS/JIT/AOT.
• Design, develop, and optimize core kernel subsystems for our custom OS including scheduler, memory management, and I/O subsystems.
• Design hardware-software co-optimization techniques to improve kernel performance and efficiency for our custom OS framework including ArkUI, ArkTS/JIT/AOT and Kotlin/JIT/AOT.
• Performance analysis and optimization of kernel components for mobile workloads and use cases.
• Optimize kernel for power efficiency and power consumption across CPU, SoC, and system-level components.
• Develop simulation frameworks for kernel-level and our custom OS framework (ArkTS/JIT/AOT, ArkUI and Kotlin/JIT/AOT) workload evaluation on future CPU designs.
• Propose microarchitectural enhancements for system optimization based on kernel profiling and characterization.
• Develop and implement power management policies and performance scaling strategies.

Requirements

• Master/PhD degree in Computer Science/Engineering/Physics etc.
• Strong knowledge of computer architectures, operating system internals, and mobile SoC design.
• Extensive experience with Linux kernel development including core subsystems (scheduler, memory management, VFS, networking).
• Strong programming skills in C, C++, assembly, and Python.
• Understanding of CPU privilege levels, MMU/IOMMU, and virtualization extensions.
• Experience with performance profiling and optimization at both kernel and microarchitectural levels.

Desirables

• Experience with Linux OS, Android OS or other microkernels.
• Strong knowledge of Arm architecture, TrustZone, TEE, exception handling, and interrupt processing.
• Experience with kernel profiling tools (perf, ftrace, eBPF, LTTng, SystemTap).
• Knowledge of RISC-V privilege specifications or Arm architecture reference manuals.
• Deep knowledge of power management frameworks, DVFS (Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling), and CPU idle states.
• Understanding of real-time operating systems, or deterministic execution requirements.
• Experience with gem5, Sniper, or other cycle‑accurate architectural simulators.
• Understanding of mobile platform power optimization techniques and thermal management.
• Experience with hardware‑assisted virtualization and hypervisor design.
• Familiarity with Android kernel, AOSP, or other mobile OS kernel implementations.

If this sounds of interest, please apply here or reach out to markmic