System Software Architect, Linux Kernel and Operating System

ByteDance; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

ByteDance in San Jose is seeking a hands-on technical leader to own the Linux kernel and OS foundation for our GPU computing platforms. You will define architecture, set priorities, and guide capabilities from hardware planning through production readiness, as an IC leader rather than a manager.

You will translate roadmaps into kernel release plans, review major changes, prototype designs, and coordinate with silicon, firmware, security, storage, networking, and validation teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CS/CE/EE or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years hands-on Linux kernel or OS engineering with leadership evidence.
• Proven track record delivering major systems software across multiple teams.
• Expert-level C and strong systems-debugging across kernel, firmware, hardware, and user-space boundaries.
• Experience making architecture tradeoffs in performance, reliability, security, and maintenance cost.
• Mentoring engineers and influencing stakeholders without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Set technical direction for Linux kernel architecture, platform enablement, reliability, performance, and security.
• Translate product roadmaps into an explicit Linux kernel and OS release plan with interfaces and risks.
• Lead architecture reviews and establish standards to reduce long-term costs.
• Remain hands-on in critical paths with prototyping and code reviews.
• Coordinate delivery across silicon, firmware, security, storage, networking, validation, and release teams.
• Define upstream strategy and represent positions in relevant communities.
• Establish quality and operational-readiness expectations including testing and observability.
• Mentor senior and developing engineers and document technical decisions.

Skills

Linux kernel

C programming

OS engineering

Systems debugging

Architecture planning

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/CE/EE

Job description

About the Team

We are a systems software team building the foundational software for large-scale GPU computing cluster. We work at the hardware/software boundary across the Linux kernel, accelerators, storage, firmware, and platform validation. We value rigorous engineering, clear interfaces, measurable performance and reliability, and upstream collaboration where appropriate. The team partners closely with hardware, architecture, product, validation, and production engineering groups to move new capabilities from design through dependable deployment.

About the Role

You will provide hands-on technical leadership for the Linux kernel and operating-system foundation of our GPU computing platforms. You will define architecture, establish engineering priorities, align cross-functional dependencies, guide major capabilities from early hardware planning through production maturity, and make Linux Operating System releases and roadmap for Bytedance. This is an individual-contributor leadership role: you will lead through technical judgment, design quality, delivery discipline, and mentoring rather than through line-management authority.

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.

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.