Linux Kernel Consultant; Remote

Linux Kernel Consultant (Remote/Anywhere)

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Ship kernel code that runs on millions of devices worldwide. You'll work directly on upstream Linux development for a flagship consumer product while contributing to the broader kernel community. This isn't just maintenance work, you'll be solving hard problems and your code goes upstream.

This is both deep technical work AND collaborative consulting
, you'll partner with client engineering teams to solve their toughest kernel challenges while championing upstream-first approaches.

Location: Fully remote (any timezone, preference for overlap with EU/US hours)

Travel: Optional conference attendance

• Upstream First:
  Contribute directly to mainline Linux kernel development: schedulers, power management, device drivers and core subsystems
• Real-World Impact:
  Support and optimise Linux for extremely popular consumer devices used by millions of people
• Solve Hard Problems:
  Make Linux do things it can't currently do. Push the boundaries of what is possible to mould Linux to suit new use cases. Tackle device failures without the luxury of a stack trace, relying on experience and intuition. Just because Linux doesn't do it currently, doesn't mean we can't invent it
• Community
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Work with upstream maintainers and represent Collabora at conferences
• Client Partnership:
  Translate customer needs into technical solutions while advocating for upstream-first approaches. You'll help clients understand why investing in upstream benefits their long-term goals
• Navigate Constraints:
  Balance technical excellence with real-world pressures: customer deadlines, hardware limitations, business priorities, while keeping code quality high
• Be a Technical Advisor:
  Explain complex kernel decisions to product teams, provide honest timelines and build trust through transparent communication
• Mentor & Lead:
  Share knowledge with the team and help shape our kernel engineering practices

• 3+ years of Linux kernel development experience
• Strong C programming skills and deep understanding of kernel internals
• Proven debugging abilities - you can diagnose issues from vague bug reports and limited reproduction steps
• Communication skills - good English language skills both spoken and written for patch reviews, documentation and client discussions
• Self-directed work style - you thrive in a remote, asynchronous environment

• Open source track record - active participation in kernel mailing lists, patch submissions, or subsystem maintenance
• Experience with schedulers, power management, Bluetooth, WiFi or audio subsystems
• Familiarity with CI/CD for kernel testing (Kernel
  
  CI, Jenkins, LAVA)
• Background in BSP development or board bring-up
• Consultancy or client-facing technical background - you know how to balance technical excellence with business constraints, explain kernel internals to product teams, manage expectations across multiple projects and advocate for upstream solutions while respecting customer timelines
• Distribution experience (Arch, Debian, Yocto, Buildroot)
• Rust programming skills
• Previous product support experience
• Technical presentation skills - conference talks, customer presentations or internal knowledge sharing
• Experience mentoring junior engineers or reviewing others' kernel patches

• Competitive benefits package tailored to each country in which we have employees, plus a core global benefit offering accessible to all Collaborans. Our core benefits include:
• Competitive salary based on experience and location
• Office setup budget
• Sabbatical/Retention of Services - after five years continuous service
• Co-working policy - support for working outside home
• Wellness assessments - biannual well-being assessments with a trained mental health specialist
• Conference attendance - we cover expenses and encourage speaking opportunities
• Open source time - contribute to projects you care about

• Fully remote - work where you’re most productive
• Global team - engineers…