Senior Linux Kernel & System Engineer — Equity Eligible

Fortinet, Inc.; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 245,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

401(k)

Paid holidays

Vacation time

Sick time

Equity program

Bonus eligibility

Job summary

Fortinet, Inc. is seeking a senior systems engineer to troubleshoot complex, multi-layer issues from kernel to application and drive OS-level optimizations for a forward-looking platform in Sunnyvale.

You will collaborate with hardware teams and maintain existing OS components, ensuring performance and reliability for Fortinet’s diverse product family. Strong Linux internals knowledge and programming skills are essential.

Qualifications

• B.S./M.S. with 8+ years of relevant experience.
• Hands-on Linux kernel experience, debugging, and performance tuning.
• Detailed knowledge of Linux kernel internals (scheduling, VFS, memory, I/O).
• Detailed knowledge of Linux network internals (TCP/IP, netfilter, drivers).
• Knowledge of processor architectures (x86, ARM).
• Programming skills in C, Bash, Python, and Go.
• Experience with virtualization/container/cloud technologies (preferred).
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration.
• Enthusiasm for system-level techniques.

Responsibilities

• Troubleshoot complex system-level issues across kernel to application layers.
• Provide system-level OS optimizations to meet evolving business requirements.
• Collaborate with hardware team to support delivery of the new platform.
• Maintain existing OS-related software components.

Skills

Linux kernel

Debugging

Performance tuning

Networking internals

C programming

Bash scripting

Python scripting

Go programming

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree

Tools

Linux

Virtualization/Cloud tech

Job description

Fortinet, Inc. is seeking a senior systems engineer to troubleshoot complex, multi-layer issues from kernel to application and drive OS-level optimizations for a forward-looking platform in Sunnyvale.

You will collaborate with hardware teams and maintain existing OS components, ensuring performance and reliability for Fortinet’s diverse product family. Strong Linux internals knowledge and programming skills are essential.