Sustaining Engineering Intern - RHEL Kernel (Waterford office, Ireland)

Red Hat; Waterford; On-site; EUR 13,000 - 22,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid internship

Waterford office accessibility

Job summary

Red Hat in Waterford is offering a paid, full-time internship in the Sustaining Engineering team focused on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. You will backport security fixes, verify tests, and engage across multiple teams to ensure high enterprise quality and timely updates.

Start date is January 2027, with flexible working hours and hands-on experience in the project lifecycle. Applicants must be enrolled in an Irish university, eager to learn, and capable of working across open-source communities.

Qualifications

• Enrolled in an accredited university program in the Republic of Ireland during full duration of the internship.
• Ability to join full-time from January to August 2027.
• Interest in open-source software and development.
• Basic knowledge of Linux and programming languages, especially C or C++.
• Familiarity with scripting using Bash or Python.
• Understanding of Git (cherry-picking, merging, rebasing, etc.).
• Ability to collaborate effectively within a global team.

Responsibilities

• Work on Red Hat Enterprise Linux security vulnerabilities and bugs; update stable streams.
• Backport selected security and other fixes into stable release streams and track upstream patches.
• Configure or backport tests, set up test environments, run tests and verify fixes.
• Help with development of tests and test framework.
• Assist with development and integration of the test environment.
• Troubleshoot issues and collaborate with the engineering team to resolve them.
• Collaborate with product engineering, quality engineering, program management, release engineering, and product security to deliver updates on time and with quality.
• Participate in internal and cross-functional projects for automation, integration, and efficiency.

Skills

Kernel backporting

C/C++

Git

Scripting (Bash/Python)

Open source

Linux

English communication

Tools

Git

Job description

The Red Hat Sustaining Engineering team is looking for a motivated Intern with a focus on Red Hat Enterprise Linux to join us in the Waterford office. In this role, you'll have the opportunity to work on critical fixes for Kernel components in stable streams. You will make sure that our solutions fulfil the highest possible enterprise quality, performance, usability, and supportability criteria. You will gain a deep understanding of a variety of technologies from Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as backporting, testing and release processes. This will give you the opportunity to gain a wide range of knowledge about the project lifecycle, our business and the open-source culture.

To succeed in this role, you'll need to be detail-oriented and committed to secure coding practices and standards, as you'll be working on stable, business-critical streams. In addition, you'll have the opportunity to engage with older streams that have their own specifics and challenges, requiring troubleshooting and problem-solving skills of potential issues.

At Red Hat, you'll work in an environment that welcomes diverse perspectives, values great ideas, and empowers individuals to contribute meaningfully. Freedom and courage are two of our core values — which means you'll have the space to take risks, explore the unknown, and grow your strengths. But being a Red Hatter is not just about bravery; it's also about commitment and follow-through.

Red Hat’s Intern Program is a collaborative effort between the Emerging Talent team and our intern managers. The program is designed to offer a meaningful and well-rounded experience — combining professional development, networking opportunities, social engagement, and impactful work. This is a paid, full-time internship based in the Waterford office, with flexible working hours. The expected start date is January 2027.

What You Will Do

• Work on Red Hat Enterprise Linux security vulnerabilities and bugs and be responsible for the updates in the stable streams
• Backport selected security and other bug fixes into the stable release streams and help with tracking of upstream patches for backport
• Configure or backport tests, set up test environment, run tests and verify fixes
• Help with the development of the tests and test framework
• Help with development and integration efforts of the test environment
• Troubleshoot any potential issues, and collaborate with the engineering team on resolving them
• Collaborate with various teams (product engineering, quality engineering, program management, release engineering, product security) in order to deliver updates in a timely manner and with appropriate quality
• Possibility to participate in several internal and cross-functional projects for automation, integration and efficiency

What You Will Bring

• You must be enrolled in an accredited university program in the Republic of Ireland during the full duration of the internship and must be able to join us full time from January till August 2027
• Working knowledge of written and spoken English
• Interest in open-source software and development
• Basic knowledge of Linux and any programming languages, especially C or C++
• Familiarity with scripting using Bash or Python
• Understanding of Git (cherry-picking, merging, rebasing, etc.)
• Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively within a global team
• Interest in learning new technologies and problem-solving skills

Experience With The Following Are Considered a Plus

• Open Source contributions to upstream linux projects or interaction with the open source community.
• Familiar with kernel internals, including but not limited to:
• Structure and its subsystems
• Familiar with userspace low-level internals such as Kernel interface (syscalls, ioctl, etc.)
• Experience with building code from source and debug compilation failures, mainly with C language code.

Due to the limited number of internship opportunities and the high volume of applications, we may not be able to speak with every candidate. To maximize your chances of moving forward in the process, please ensure your CV clearly outlines your education, relevant projects (link to your git.hub account), and extracurricular activities.

About Red Hat

Red Hat is the world’s leading provider of enterprise open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to deliver high-performing Linux, cloud, container, and Kubernetes technologies. Spread across 40+ countries, our associates work flexibly across work environments, from in-office, to office-flex, to fully remote, depending on the requirements of their role. Red Hatters are encouraged to bring their best ideas, no matter their title or tenure. We're a leader in open source because of our open and inclusive environment. We hire creative, passionate people ready to contribute their ideas, help solve complex problems, and make an impact.

Inclusion at Red Hat

Red Hat’s culture is built on the open source principles of transparency, collaboration, and inclusion, where the best ideas can come from anywhere and anyone. When this is realized, it empowers people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to come together to share ideas, challenge the status quo, and drive innovation. Our aspiration is that everyone experiences this culture with equal opportunity and access, and that all voices are not only heard but also celebrated. We hope you will join our celebration, and we welcome and encourage applicants from all the beautiful dimensions that compose our global village.

Equal Opportunity Policy (EEO)

Red Hat is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer. We review applications for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, veteran status, genetic information, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

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