System Software Architect, Linux Kernel and Operating System

ByteDance; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 218,000 - 480,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) match

Parental leave

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Wellbeing benefits

Paid holidays

Paid sick days

Paid Personal Time

Job summary

ByteDance seeks a System Software Architect in San Jose to lead Linux kernel and OS architecture across releases. Translate roadmaps into kernel plans, drive reliability and security, and mentor engineers through major changes.

The role coordinates with silicon, firmware, security, storage, networking, validation, and release teams to ensure high-quality platform software; upstream strategy is defined to minimize interface divergence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS/CE/EE or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of hands-on Linux kernel or OS engineering with leadership.
• Experience setting technical direction for a major systems-software program.
• Expert-level C and strong systems-debugging skills across kernel, firmware, hardware, and user-space.

Responsibilities

• Set the technical direction for Linux kernel architecture, platform enablement, reliability, performance, security, and maintainability across multiple releases.
• Translate product and hardware roadmaps into a sequenced Linux kernel and Linux OS release plan with explicit interfaces, dependencies, risks, validation gates, and ownership.
• Lead architecture and design reviews for major kernel changes; resolve cross-subsystem tradeoffs, cross business unit requirement tradeoffs, and establish standards that reduce long-term operational cost.
• Remain hands-on in critical paths by prototyping designs, reviewing complex code, diagnosing high-severity failures, and contributing targeted implementation where it has the highest leverage.
• Coordinate delivery across silicon, firmware, security, storage, networking, validation, release, and production teams from concept through deployment.
• Define an upstream strategy for platform support, represent technical positions in relevant communities, and reduce unnecessary divergence from maintained interfaces.
• Establish quality and operational-readiness expectations, including automated testing, observability, rollback, regression control, and measurable reliability objectives.
• Mentor senior and developing engineers, improve design and debugging practices, and create clear technical decision records.

Skills

Linux kernel

C programming

System debugging

Architecture direction

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent

Job description

System Software Architect, Linux Kernel and Operating System

Location:

San Jose

Team:

Technology

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Code:

A17104A

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Responsibilities

• Set the technical direction for Linux kernel architecture, platform enablement, reliability, performance, security, and maintainability across multiple releases.
• Translate product and hardware roadmaps into a sequenced Linux kernel and Linux OS release plan with explicit interfaces, dependencies, risks, validation gates, and ownership.
• Lead architecture and design reviews for major kernel changes; resolve cross-subsystem tradeoffs, cross business unit requirement tradeoffs, and establish standards that reduce long-term operational cost.
• Remain hands-on in critical paths by prototyping designs, reviewing complex code, diagnosing high-severity failures, and contributing targeted implementation where it has the highest leverage.
• Coordinate delivery across silicon, firmware, security, storage, networking, validation, release, and production teams from concept through deployment.
• Define an upstream strategy for platform support, represent technical positions in relevant communities, and reduce unnecessary divergence from maintained interfaces.
• Establish quality and operational-readiness expectations, including automated testing, observability, rollback, regression control, and measurable reliability objectives.
• Mentor senior and developing engineers, improve design and debugging practices, and create clear technical decision records.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of hands-on Linux kernel or operating-system engineering experience, with demonstrated technical leadership and depth in multiple kernel subsystems or platform-enablement domains.
• Demonstrated success setting technical direction for a major systems-software program and delivering it through multiple teams or product generations.
• Expert-level C and strong systems-debugging skills across kernel, firmware, hardware, and user-space boundaries.
• Experience making architecture tradeoffs involving performance, reliability, security, compatibility, and maintenance cost.
• Evidence of mentoring engineers and influencing stakeholders without relying on reporting-line authority.

Preferred Qualifications

• Credible upstream Linux participation, including subsystem contributions, maintainership, review leadership, or sustained collaboration with maintainers.
• Experience enabling new server silicon or data-center platforms from pre-silicon planning through fleet deployment.
• Experience defining multi-year technical plans and adapting them as hardware, product, or operational constraints change.
• Track record improving engineering systems such as validation coverage, release quality, incident response, or kernel-update velocity.

Job Information

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $218400 - $480000 annually.

Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.

Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).

The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.

For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:

1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. Exercising sound judgment.

About Us

Founded in 2012, ByteDance's mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. With a suite of more than a dozen products, including TikTok, Lemon8, CapCut and Pico as well as platforms specific to the China market, including Toutiao, Douyin, and Xigua, ByteDance has made it easier and more fun for people to connect with, consume, and create content.

Why Join ByteDance

Inspiring creativity is at the core of ByteDance's mission. Our innovative products are built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and enrich life - a mission we work towards every day.

As ByteDancers, we strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our Company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.

Diversity & Inclusion

ByteDance is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At ByteDance, our mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.

Reasonable Accommodation

ByteDance is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/RA-request