Linux Kernel Engineer

Lex; Dublin; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple is seeking a Linux Kernel Engineer to own the kernel lifecycle end to end, from CI infrastructure to driver enablement and production-ready releases. You will design, build, and operate CI and validation pipelines that test and release Linux kernels across hardware platforms and distributions.

You will triage kernel regressions, investigate crashes and performance issues, port and upstream device drivers, and collaborate with SRE, platform, and hardware teams to ensure kernel stability,

Qualifications

• Experience developing or maintaining the Linux kernel or low-level system software.
• Proven ability to debug kernel level issues using perf, ftrace, bpftrace, crash, gdb, or similar.
• Deep understanding of kernel tuning for stability and performance across many subsystem domains.
• Hands-on experience developing CI/CD systems integrating operating system components and managing kernel releases.
• Strong programming skills in C, plus proficiency in at least one of Rust, Go, Python, or Bash.
• Solid understanding of operating system fundamentals: processes, memory management, filesystems, networking, scheduling, interrupts, and hardware/driver interactions.
• Experience working in a RHEL based Linux environment, including RPM packaging and the RHEL kernel back port and release process.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills; comfortable working with cross-functional teams (SRE, platform, hardware, security).

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and operate CI and validation pipelines that compile, test, and release Linux kernels across multiple hardware platforms and Linux distributions.
• Lead triage of kernel regressions, investigate crashes and performance issues, drive fixes to resolution, and qualify new hardware at the kernel layer.
• Collaborate with engineers across Apple to port, maintain, and upstream device drivers, shepherd kernel changes into production, and raise the bar on kernel quality and release discipline.

Skills

Linux kernel

C programming

Kernel debugging

CI/CD systems

Kernel tuning

Python

GDB

Cross-functional

System fundamentals

RPM packaging

Education

Bachelor of Computer Science

Tools

Perf

ftrace

bpftrace

Crash

GDB

Job description

Summary

At Apple, we craft experiences that have transformed entire industries. The diversity of our people and ideas fuels innovation in everything we do. Imagine what you could build here.

Join our Linux Kernel Engineering team and play a central role in the reliability, performance, and evolution of Apple's platforms. As a Linux Kernel Engineer, you will own the kernel lifecycle end to end, from CI infrastructure and automated validation to driver enablement, debugging, and production-quality releases.

You will partner closely with platform, infrastructure, and SRE teams to ensure every kernel we ship is stable, observable, and ready for real world workloads at scale.

Description

In this role, you will design, build, and operate CI and validation pipelines that compile, test, and release Linux kernels across multiple hardware platforms and Linux distributions. You will lead triage of kernel regressions, investigate crashes and performance issues, drive fixes to resolution, and qualify new hardware at the kernel layer.

You will collaborate with engineers across Apple to port, maintain, and upstream device drivers, shepherd kernel changes into production, and continuously raise the bar on kernel quality, automation, and release discipline. Your work will have direct impact on the stability, performance, and debuggability of systems that power critical Apple services.

If you enjoy deep kernel debugging, building robust CI systems, and owning kernel releases from development through production, we would like to hear from you.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience developing or maintaining the Linux kernel or low-level system software (e.g., kernel modules, device drivers, or core OS components).
• Proven ability to debug kernel level issues (panics, hangs, performance regressions) using tools such as perf, ftrace, bpftrace, crash, gdb, or similar.
• Deep understanding of kernel tuning for stability and performance across many subsystem domains.
• Hands-on experience developing CI/CD systems integrating operating system components and managing kernel releases.
• Strong programming skills in C, plus proficiency in at least one of Rust, Go, Python, or Bash.
• Solid understanding of operating system fundamentals: processes, memory management, filesystems, networking, scheduling, interrupts, and hardware/driver interactions.
• Experience working in a RHEL based Linux environment, including RPM packaging and the RHEL kernel back port and release process.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills; comfortable working with cross-functional teams (SRE, platform, hardware, security).

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven track record of upstream contributions to the Linux kernel project or similar upstreams.
• Bachelor of Computer Science or equivalent skills and work experience.

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Role Number: 200651433-0562