Principal Linux Kernel Developer

Overview

This role has been designed as ‘Hybrid’ with an expectation that you will work on average 2 days per week from an HPE office.

• Lead architecture and design of Linux kernel components including file systems, memory management, networking, and I/O subsystems.
• Drive performance optimization, scalability improvements, and reliability across the storage stack.
• Debug and resolve complex kernel-level issues including system crashes, memory corruption, and performance bottlenecks.
• Provide technical leadership through design reviews, mentoring, and establishing engineering best practices.
• Collaborate across storage, networking, firmware, and hardware teams to deliver integrated solutions.
• Engage with upstream open-source communities (e.g., Linux kernel, Lustre) and contribute patches and reviews.
• Lead root-cause analysis and resolution of critical customer issues and escalations.
• Define and influence long-term architectural direction for HPE storage platforms.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 8–12+ years of experience in systems or kernel-level software development.
• Expert-level proficiency in C programming.
• Deep expertise in Linux kernel internals (e.g., memory management, file systems, networking, block I/O).
• Strong experience debugging kernel using tools such as crash, perf, ftrace, and trace points.
• Experience with distributed systems or storage platforms.
• Proven technical leadership and ability to influence architecture and cross-functional teams.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills within global engineering organizations.

• Experience with distributed storage systems such as Lustre, Ceph, or DAOS.
• Experience contributing to upstream Linux kernel or open-source projects.
• Knowledge of HPC environments and high-performance computing architectures.
• Familiarity with RDMA, Infini Band, or high-speed interconnects.
• Experience with CI/CD, testing automation, and performance benchmarking.
• Experience handling customer escalations and production system issues.

Health & Wellbeing:
We strive to provide our team members and their loved ones with a comprehensive suite of benefits that supports their physical, financial and emotional wellbeing.

Personal & Professional Development:
We invest in your career with programs to help you reach career goals, whether you want to become a knowledge expert or apply your skills to another division.

Unconditional Inclusion:
We are unconditionally inclusive in the way we work and celebrate individual uniqueness. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good.

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or any other protected category, and all decisions we make are based on qualifications, merit, and business need.

Information about employee benefits offered in the US can be found at the official HP rewards site.

Note:

This description focuses on the role responsibilities and qualifications and may be updated to reflect evolving business needs.