Operating Systems Engineer, Linux Kernel | Consumer Devices

Linuxcareers; San Francisco, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

OpenAI Consumer Devices is seeking a skilled kernel engineer to design and implement Linux kernel subsystems for next-generation devices. You will collaborate across hardware, firmware, and software teams to translate requirements into maintainable kernel and userspace interfaces.

The role focuses on debugging, performance, and power optimizations, with emphasis on maintainable, upstreamable patches and rigorous validation across platforms.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience designing, developing, and debugging Linux kernel subsystems.
• Familiar with interfaces between kernel and userspace.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain Linux kernel subsystem changes that support device capabilities and product requirements
• Own features across the stack and build interfaces to deliver reliable features
• Debug complex system behavior using tracing, profiling, and instrumentation tools to resolve issues
• Develop tests and representative workloads to validate performance, power, and reliability improvements
• Partner with hardware/firmware teams to translate system requirements into maintainable solutions
• Prepare reviewable patches and contribute fixes upstream where appropriate

Skills

Linux kernel development

C programming

Kernel concurrency

Debugging complex systems

Cross-boundary diagnosis

Performance optimization

Tools

Git

Profiling/Tracing tools

Code review

Job description

OpenAI Consumer Devices is building next-generation AI-enabled consumer hardware products. This role focuses on Linux kernel development and design to underpin these consumer devices, with ownership extending across kernel and userspace components to deliver complete product features.

What You’ll Do

• Design, implement, and maintain Linux kernel subsystem changes that support device capabilities and product requirements
• Own features across the stack: establish appropriate kernel and userspace boundaries, and build interfaces and supporting components needed to deliver reliable features
• Debug complex system behavior using tracing, profiling, instrumentation, and diagnostic tools to resolve correctness, concurrency, performance, power, and reliability issues
• Develop tests and representative workloads to validate performance, power, and reliability improvements and detect regressions
• Partner with hardware, firmware, platform, and application engineers to translate system requirements into understandable, maintainable solutions
• Prepare reviewable patches, incorporate feedback, and contribute fixes upstream where appropriate

What You Need

• Substantial hands-on experience designing, developing, and debugging one or more Linux kernel subsystems (memory management, storage, networking, high-speed peripherals, power management, scheduling, or virtualization)
• Proficiency in C for kernel and low-level systems development
• Strong understanding of kernel concurrency, synchronization, memory ownership, and resource lifetimes
• Experience delivering systems capabilities across kernel and userspace, including designing interfaces and diagnosing cross-boundary problems
• Understanding of Linux kernel development principles and practices: maintainable designs, appropriate abstractions, reviewable patches, compatibility awareness, and careful validation

Nice to Have

• Proficiency in Rust for systems programming with experience developing Linux kernel code in Rust alongside C
• Active participation in the Linux community through patches, code review, testing, bug reports, technical discussions, or collaboration with subsystem maintainers
• Ownership of complete solutions with the ability to follow problems across system boundaries
• Careful tradeoffs among functionality, security, performance, power, and maintainability with evidence-based decision-making