We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Linux Kernel Systems Engineer with deep expertise in low-level OS internals, storage and memory subsystems, and the hardware/software boundary. The ideal candidate has production experience with Linux kernel subsystems such as the block/IO layer, memory management, or device drivers - and a track record of solving hard systems problems in performance-critical environments.
The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of kernel internals, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team.
The candidate should be comfortable working directly in kernel source code - reading, modifying, and contributing to kernel subsystem code - and have demonstrated experience solving complex, multi-layer system problems from application down to hardware.
A research-oriented mindset, curiosity about emerging systems technologies (tiered memory, CXL, high-bandwidth interconnects), and the ability to evaluate and integrate new approaches into a Linux kernel development workflow are essential. Familiarity with AI-assisted development tooling (code review, static analysis) is a plus, though not a prerequisite.
Key Responsibilities:
- Linux Kernel Subsystem Work: Develop and optimize within Linux kernel subsystems - block/IO layer, memory management, device drivers, or storage stack. Engage with kernel internals at the source level, including subsystem APIs, locking models, and performance-critical paths.
- Performance Analysis & Optimization: Profile and tune system behavior under production workloads; identify bottlenecks across the full stack from application to hardware; optimize for latency, throughput, and resource efficiency.
- Complex Full-Stack Debugging: Debug hard, multi-layer system problems - from application behavior through kernel internals to hardware - using kernel tracing, hardware counters, and low-level analysis tools (ftrace, perf, eBPF).
- Open Source Collaboration: Engage with upstream kernel and storage communities; contribute patches; participate in mailing-list design discussions; stay updated with the latest developments and best practices in the open-source ecosystem.
- Version Control: Use Git at depth - patch series management, bisect-based debugging, and clean commit history suited for upstream submission, following kernel coding style and review conventions.
- Team Collaboration: Work closely with hardware, algorithm, and platform teams. Contribute to design reviews and architectural decisions. Participate in code reviews, design discussions, and team meetings.
- Independent Work: Demonstrate the ability to work independently on complex kernel projects, manage tasks efficiently, and solve problems with minimal supervision.
- Experience: 10+ years of hands-on low-level systems or Linux kernel development, with at least 5 years working directly in kernel space (drivers, subsystem code, or kernel-adjacent infrastructure).
- Programming Skills: Proficiency in C; working knowledge of C++. Comfort with kernel coding style, memory safety, and lock-ordering discipline.
- Kernel Subsystem Depth: Demonstrated expertise in at least one major Linux kernel subsystem — memory management (reclaim, swap, page migration), block/IO layer, device drivers, or high-performance networking (DPDK/RDMA). Surface-level exposure does not qualify.
- Storage Stack: Hands-on experience with the Linux block layer, NVMe, or storage backend technologies (SPDK, Ceph/RBD, or similar). Familiarity with IO path internals - submission queues, completion, and caching layers - is strongly preferred. This is a core requirement, not an advantage.
- Full-Stack Debugging: Proven ability to debug complex system issues across the application→kernel→hardware boundary, including use of kernel tracing infrastructure (ftrace, perf, eBPF) or hardware-level analysis.
- Open-Source Involvement: Proven experience engaging with the open-source kernel or storage community (upstream contributions, mailing-list participation, or public patch history).
- Version Control: Deep Git proficiency - patch series, bisect, rebase workflows, and managing review cycles for upstream-quality commits.
- Collaboration and Communication: Ability to work effectively in a team environment as well as independently. Excellent communication skills to interact with cross-functional teams and contribute to discussions and documentation.
Differentiating Skills (strong plus):
- Virtualization / Hypervisor Internals: Experience with x86 VT-x/AMD-V, KVM, IOMMU, device pass-through, or distributed SMP systems.
- High-Bandwidth Interconnects: Familiarity with RDMA, InfiniBand, DPDK, or RoCE in storage or networking contexts.
- Tiered Memory & Caching: Experience with CXL, DRAM/NVMe tiering, block-layer caching, or cache-tier design (OpenCAS or similar).
- ARM Architecture: AArch64 experience including SIMD/NEON optimization or KVM stage-2 memory virtualization on ARM-based servers.
- Upstream Kernel Contributions: Patches accepted to mainline, sustained mailing-list engagement, or subsystem maintainer interaction.
- Academic Background: B.Sc. or M.Sc. in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering from a research-oriented institution.
Sandisk thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.
Sandisk is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at [email protected] to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.