Principal Linux Kernel Developer

Hewlett Packard Enterprise•Fort Collins, CO

4d•$152,000 - $349,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is hiring a Principal Linux Kernel Developer to lead kernel architecture and development for HPE storage platforms. The role focuses on Linux kernel components, storage-stack performance, scalability, and reliability, as well as resolving complex kernel issues and critical customer escalations. The position collaborates with storage, networking, firmware, and hardware teams and contributes to upstream open-source communities. It is hybrid, requiring an average of two days per week in an HPE office.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a 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, such as memory management, filesystems, networking, and block I/O.
Strong experience debugging the kernel with tools such as crash, perf, ftrace, and tracepoints.
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.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Lead architecture and design of Linux kernel components, including filesystems, memory management, networking, and I/O subsystems.
Drive performance optimization, scalability improvements, and reliability across the storage stack.
Debug and resolve kernel-level issues, including system crashes, memory corruption, and performance bottlenecks.
Provide technical leadership through design reviews, mentoring, and engineering best practices.
Collaborate with storage, networking, firmware, and hardware teams to deliver integrated solutions.
Engage with upstream open-source communities, including Linux kernel and Lustre, through 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.