Sr. Linux Kernel Engineer, Amazon Linux

Amazon Linux is the operating system distribution on which Amazon, AWS services and many enterprise customers run. The Linux kernel provides the core functionality, security boundaries, and performance characteristics that allow our customers to make use of the latest EC2 and AWS functionality.

We are looking for a Senior Linux Kernel Engineer to join our Dresden-based team. Kernel Development Engineers implement the team’s technical direction in cooperation with the upstream Linux community. They dive into reported kernel issues and provide detailed analysis and changes that can be upstreamed. At the Senior level they do so independently, leading others while setting the quality bar and technical direction.

The baseline individual for this role will have demonstrated their ability to contribute to the Linux kernel, along with development skills for tooling, automation and Gen AI application. Knowledge in Linux kernel internals is required for this role. An understanding of and experience in contributing to open source projects is a plus.

Amazon Linux is a part of AWS Utility Computing (UC) which provides product innovations — from foundational services such as Amazon’s Simple Storage Service (S3) and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), to consistently released new product innovations that continue to set AWS’s services and features apart in the industry. As a member of the UC organization, you’ll support the development and management of Compute, Database, Storage, Internet of Things (Iot), Platform, and Productivity Apps services in AWS, including support for customers who require specialized security solutions for their cloud services.

Key job responsibilities

• Provide secure, stable, performant Linux kernel builds for Amazon Linux.
• Diagnose performance regressions, crashes, and develop Linux kernel code fixes suitable for upstream.
• Interact with the upstream Linux kernel community.
• Plan, design and develop new Kernel functionality as needed.
• Over time mentor and hire engineers.
• This role includes on-call responsibilities, usually 12 hour daytime in partnership with the US based sister team.

About the team

The team maintains the Linux kernel for Amazon Linux, a GNU/Linux distribution with significant usage in EC2, AWS products, and internal infrastructure. It shares responsibility for the security of the components, with a focus on performance engineering and developing features that make the kernel easier to consume.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent.
• Experience as a mentor, tech lead or leading an engineering team.
• A history of Linux kernel development, low level device driver development, or equivalent.
• Knowledge of system performance, memory management, and parallel computing principles.
• Experience with open source tools and resources.

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