Staff Engineer, Linux Kernel

Job Title

Staff Engineer, Linux Kernel

Role Summary

Lead design, development, and upstreaming of Linux kernel features and drivers for Arm-based server SoCs. Work at the intersection of hardware and software to enable platform features, ensure compliance with server standards, and support kernel bring-up on new silicon and virtual platforms.

Experience Level

Senior — expects extensive experience in Linux kernel development, with an emphasis on Arm architectures (posting specifies 10+ years in kernel development).

Responsibilities

Deliver kernel platform enablement and upstream contributions, collaborate across hardware/firmware teams, and support validation and bring-up activities.

• Architect and implement Linux kernel features and drivers for Armv8/v9 server SoCs.
• Drive upstream contributions and maintain alignment with mainline Linux kernel.
• Collaborate with hardware, firmware, and platform teams to enable SoC features (e.g., RAS, SMMU, GIC, ACPI, NUMA, PCIe, CXL).
• Develop and maintain kernel subsystems, device drivers, and board support packages (BSPs).
• Lead kernel bring-up on new silicon and virtual platforms; support debugging and performance analysis.
• Integrate and validate compliance test suites (FWTS, BSA-ACS, SBSA-ACS, SystemReady SR).
• Mentor junior engineers, contribute to design reviews and documentation, and represent the company in open-source communities.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience; preferred items listed separately.

• 10+ years of Linux kernel development experience with strong focus on Arm architecture and server-class platforms.
• Deep knowledge of kernel subsystems: memory management, scheduler, device drivers, power management, and interrupt handling.
• Proven track record of upstreaming patches and working with the Linux kernel community.
• Familiarity with server SoC features and platform enablement: NUMA, RAS, ACPI, PCIe, CXL, secure boot.
• Experience with compliance validation and test suites (SystemReady SR, FWTS, ACS).
• Strong kernel debugging and performance analysis skills (ftrace, perf, kgdb, crash, kernel logs).
• Proficiency in system-level programming (C) and experience with C/C++, Python or similar for tooling and automation.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with virtualization (KVM, Xen), containers (Docker, Kubernetes), and CI/CD for kernel testing.
• Contributions or maintainership in open-source projects and familiarity with firmware interfaces and bootloaders (UEFI, ACPI, Devicetree, U-Boot, EDK2).

Education Requirements

Posting requests a Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field. Minimum-qualification alternatives listed: Bachelor's + 4+ years software engineering experience; Master's + 3+ years; PhD + 2+ years. Fields mentioned include Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Information Systems, or related technical disciplines.

About the Company

Company: Qualcomm

Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States

Qualcomm is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, specializing in mobile technologies and innovations. Known for its Adreno GPUs, the company provides solutions enabling advancements in mobile gaming, AI, VR/AR, and autonomous driving. Qualcomm's cutting-edge technology and commitment to high-performance, power-efficient designs drive the evolution of mobile graphics and connectivity worldwide.