Kernel Validation & Automation Lead – Virtualization & Systems

Kernel Validation & Automation Lead — Virtualization & Systems Performance

Remote — United States | Full-Time | Direct Hire

MaxIT Consulting — Max Corporate Group is seeking an experienced Kernel Validation & Automation Lead — Virtualization & Systems Performance for a leading global technology organization.

This opportunity is focused on defining test strategy, automation, and system-level validation for a highly distributed Linux-based AI and compute environment
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The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in Linux kernel internals, C development, virtualization, debugging, performance testing, and scalable test automation. This is a highly technical role for someone comfortable solving complex infrastructure problems at the operating-system level.

• Lead the overall testing and validation strategy for custom Linux kernel infrastructure supporting AI and compute environments.
• Design, build, and scale automated test frameworks focused on performance, reliability, and security.
• Develop comprehensive test suites for Linux kernel enhancements and infrastructure changes.
• Support the migration and validation of kernel and virtualization modifications across newer platform versions.
• Troubleshoot and isolate complex low-level system issues across test and simulated production environments.
• Perform Linux kernel debugging, performance benchmarking, and system-level validation.
• Architect and continuously improve build, automation, continuous integration, and continuous testing infrastructure.
• Partner closely with engineering teams to establish quality standards and improve infrastructure reliability at scale.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship to other engineers.
• Help identify and resolve performance, reliability, virtualization, networking, storage, and resource-management issues.

• 12 years of relevant experience in software engineering, development, systems engineering, test engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong software development and validation experience using C, particularly in Linux kernel or low-level systems environments.
• Strong scripting and automation experience using Python, Shell, and/or Perl
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• Deep understanding of Linux kernel internals and system-level infrastructure.
• Strong hands-on experience with KVM and virtualization
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• Experience with Virtio drivers and virtualized I/O environments.
• Strong knowledge of cgroups, memory management, file systems, and block I/O.
• Knowledge of Ethernet/network drivers and the TCP/IP stack
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• Extensive experience with Linux kernel debugging and performance benchmarking.
• Experience designing, implementing, and maintaining continuous integration and automated testing frameworks.
• Proven ability to diagnose and resolve complex system-level and infrastructure issues.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills in highly technical environments.
• Ability to operate effectively in a distributed, remote engineering organization.

Strong candidates should demonstrate meaningful hands-on experience across several of the following areas:

• Kernel-level development and validation
• C programming
• KVM and virtualization
• Virtio
• Memory management
• cgroups
• File systems
• Block I/O
• Network drivers
• TCP/IP
• Kernel debugging
• Performance benchmarking
• Python, Shell, or Perl automation
• Continuous integration
• Automated and continuous testing
• System-level performance and reliability validation

Candidates may come from backgrounds such as:

• Kernel development
• Operating system engineering
• Systems validation
• Virtualization or hypervisor engineering
• Infrastructure test automation
• Low-level performance engineering
• Cloud infrastructure engineering
• Embedded or platform systems development
• Large-scale distributed systems validation

Experience supporting enterprise-scale, cloud, hyperscale, or geographically distributed platforms is highly valued.

Formal people management is not required. Technical leadership, ownership of testing strategy, and mentoring experience are important.

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate examples of solving complex low-level infrastructure…