Principal Software Engineer

Red Hat India Private Limited; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Red Hat in Bangalore seeks a highly skilled systems engineer to design and maintain Windows kernel-mode drivers for virtualized environments, ensuring near-native performance on Linux-hosted infrastructure.

You will collaborate with Linux Kernel/KVM teams, optimize the Windows-on-KVM stack using Enlightenments and VirtIO, and debug complex interactions between Windows kernel, virtual hardware, and the host.

Qualifications

• Expert C/C++ programming for systems-level work.
• Deep knowledge of Windows memory management, IRPs, and WDM.
• Expert kernel debugging skills.
• Understanding of x86 virtualization extensions (VT-x/AMD-V).
• Ability to troubleshoot performance regressions at host-guest boundary.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain Windows kernel-mode drivers for virtualized environments.
• Optimize Windows-on-KVM stack with enlightenments and VirtIO drivers.
• Debug low-level Windows kernel interactions with KVM/QEMU host.
• Develop internal diagnostic tools for driver health and performance.
• Collaborate with Linux Kernel/KVM teams to align host and guest features.
• Identify and resolve race conditions, memory leaks, BSODs in virtualized contexts.

Skills

C/C++

Windows Kernel

Debugging

Virtualization

Performance optimization

Tools

gdb

perf

ftrace

Job description

About the Job

The Red Hat Engineering teams are looking for highly skilled systems engineers with Windows Device Driver Developer experience to join our core engineering team in Bangalore. This role is pivotal to our virtualization strategy, focusing on the seamless interoperability of Windows Guest Operating Systems within the Kernel based Virtual Machine stack. You will be responsible for building the "bridge" that allows Windows guests to run with near-native performance, stability, and deep integration on Linux-hosted infrastructure.

What you will do

• Design, develop, and maintain high-performance Windows kernel-mode drivers (WDM/KMDF) specifically for virtualized environments.
• Optimize the Windows-on-KVM stack by implementing "enlightenments" and specialized drivers (e.g., VirtIO) to reduce hypervisor overhead.
• Debug complex, low-level interactions between the Windows kernel, the virtual hardware abstraction layer, and the KVM/QEMU host.
• Build and maintain internal diagnostic tools to monitor driver health and performance.
• Work closely with Linux Kernel/KVM specialists to align host-side features with guest-side driver requirements.
• Identify and resolve race conditions, memory leaks, and BSODs (Blue Screens of Death) occurring in virtualized contexts.

What you will bring

• Expert C/C++ Programming: Mastery of systems-level programming where resource management and concurrency are critical.
• Windows Kernel Internals: Deep architectural knowledge of Windows memory management, I/O request packets (IRPs), interrupt handling, and the Windows Driver Model (WDM).
• Debugging: Expert-level proficiency with kernel debugging
• Virtualization Knowledge: Understanding of x86 virtualization extensions (Intel VT-x, AMD-V) and how guest OSs interact with a hypervisor.
• Problem Solving: Proven ability to troubleshoot "silent failures" and performance regressions at the boundary between software and virtual hardware.

The following are considered a plus

• Familiarity with the Linux Kernel and subsystems (Scheduler, KVM, QEMU).
• Experience using Linux-side debugging tools like gdb, perf, or ftrace to analyze host-guest interactions.
• Contributions to open-source virtualization projects or Windows-Linux interoperability layers is a plus.

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.

We’re the world’s leading provider of enterprise open source solutions—including Linux, cloud, container, and Kubernetes. We deliver hardened solutions that make it easier for enterprises to work across platforms and environments, from the core datacenter to the network edge. At Red Hat, our commitment to open source extends beyond technology into virtually everything we do. We collaborate and share ideas, create inclusive communities, and welcome diverse perspectives from all Red Hatters, no matter their role. It’s what makes us who we are. Some of the most knowledgeable and passionate people in the technology industry work here. Whether we’re building software, championing our products, or training new associates, we’re collaborating openly to make a difference in the world of open source and beyond.

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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General inquiries, such as those regarding the status of a job application, will not receive a reply.

We’re the world’s leading provider of enterprise open source solutions—including Linux, cloud, container, and Kubernetes. We deliver hardened solutions that make it easier for enterprises to work across platforms and environments, from the core datacenter to the network edge. At Red Hat, our commitment to open source extends beyond technology into virtually everything we do. We collaborate and share ideas, create inclusive communities, and welcome diverse perspectives from all Red Hatters, no matter their role. It’s what makes us who we are. Some of the most knowledgeable and passionate people in the technology industry work here. Whether we’re building software, championing our products, or training new associates, we’re collaborating openly to make a difference in the world of open source and beyond.