Linux Kernel Virtualization Senior Lead Engineer

Qualcomm; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualcomm India Private Limited in Bengaluru is seeking a Senior Engineer to lead the design, development, and upstreaming of Linux kernel features for Arm-based compute SoCs. You will collaborate with hardware, firmware, and software teams to enable new features, drive upstream contributions, and ensure compliance with Arm SystemReady.

This hands-on leadership role requires deep kernel expertise, strong debugging skills, and the ability to mentor others while representing Qualcomm in open-source

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in Linux kernel development with a strong focus on Arm architecture.
• Item 2:
• Deep understanding of kernel subsystems including memory management, scheduler, drivers, power management, virtualization.
• Item 4:
• Experience with SoC boot flow: UEFI, ABL, remoteproc, FF-A, secure boot.

Responsibilities

• Architect and develop Linux kernel features for Armv8/v9-based compute SoCs.
• Drive upstream contributions to the mainline Linux kernel and ensure community alignment.
• Collaborate with hardware, firmware, and platform teams to enable new SoC features (RAS, SMMU, GIC, ACPI).
• Develop and maintain kernel drivers, subsystems, and BSPs.
• Lead kernel bring-up on new silicon and virtual platforms.
• Mentor junior engineers and participate in technical reviews and architecture decisions.
• Represent Qualcomm in open-source communities and industry groups.

Skills

Linux kernel development

KVM virtualization

Kernel debugging

Driver development

BSPs (board support packages)

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering

Tools

KVM

Xen (or other hypervisor)

Git-based upstreaming

Job description

Company

Qualcomm India Private Limited

Job Area

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering

General Summary

We are looking for a highly skilled and experienced Senior Engineer to lead the design, development, and upstreaming of Linux kernel features for our next-generation Arm-based SoCs. This role is ideal for a hands-on technical leader who thrives at the intersection of hardware and software, and is passionate about building robust, scalable, and high-performance Linux platforms for compute infrastructure, data center. You will play a critical role in defining kernel architecture, enabling new hardware features, and ensuring compliance with industry standards such as Arm SystemReady etc.

Key Responsibilities

• Will be part of architecture and development of Linux kernel features for Armv8/v9-based compute SoCs.
• Drive upstream contributions to the mainline Linux kernel, ensuring long-term maintainability and community alignment.
• Collaborate with hardware, firmware, and platform teams to enable new SoC features (e.g., RAS, SMMU, GIC, ACPI).Must have experience with Virtualization with KVM or any other hypervisor.
• Develop and maintain kernel drivers, subsystems, and board support packages (BSPs).
• Lead kernel bring-up on new silicon and virtual platforms
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical reviews, design documentation, and architectural decisions
• Represent the company in open-source communities and industry working groups

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in Linux kernel development, Virtualization with a strong focus on Arm architecture.
• Deep understanding of kernel subsystems such as memory management, scheduler, device drivers, power management, Virtualization and interrupt handling.
• Familiarity with SoC boot flow: Uefi, ABL, remoteproc, FF-A, Trusted execution environments and secure boot.
• Experience with platform enablement and compliance validation
• Strong debugging skills using tools like ftrace, perf, kgdb, crash, and kernel logs.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 3+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.

OR

Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 2+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.

OR

PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 1+ year of Software Engineering or related work experience.

• 2+ years of academic or work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc.
• Experience with virtualization (KVM, Xen) and container technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Contributions to open-source projects or maintainership of kernel subsystems
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience OR Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 3+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience ORPhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 2+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• 2+ years of work experience with Programming Language such as Rust, Python, etc.

Applicants

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail [e-mail] or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries). Qualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of Company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law.