At a Glance
- Tasks: Collaborate with clients to solve kernel challenges and contribute to Linux development.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking tech company focused on innovation and community.
- Benefits: Fully remote work, optional travel, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Ideal for self-directed individuals looking to build their reputation in the tech community.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on popular devices and push the boundaries of Linux.
- Qualifications: Experience in Linux kernel development and strong problem-solving skills required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
This role combines deep technical work with collaborative consulting. You will partner with client engineering teams to solve their toughest kernel challenges while championing upstream-first approaches.
Location: Fully remote (preference for EU or East Coast US hours)
Travel: Optional conference attendance
What you'll actually do:
- 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.
- Community Collaboration: Work with upstream maintainers and represent 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.
What we're looking for:
- Required: Product support experience, you are comfortable diagnosing and resolving issues reported by end-users which often require dedication to reproduce from vague bug reports and limited reproduction steps.
- Solid Linux kernel development experience, you have spent meaningful time working in the kernel and are comfortable navigating unfamiliar subsystems independently.
- Strong English communication skills, both spoken and written for patch reviews, documentation and client discussions.
- Self-directed work style - you thrive in a remote, asynchronous environment.
Nice to have:
- Upstream contribution history, we know not every employer makes this easy. If you haven't had the opportunity yet, we'll help you build that profile as part of the role.
- Consultancy or client-facing technical background, you know how to balance technical excellence with business constraints.
- Experience with schedulers, power management, Bluetooth, WiFi or audio subsystems.
- Familiarity with CI/CD for kernel testing (KernelCI, Jenkins, LAVA).
- Background in BSP development or board bring-up.
- Distribution experience (Arch, Debian, Yocto, Buildroot).
- Rust programming skills.
Kernel SW Consultant in Nottingham employer: microTECH Global LTD
As a Kernel SW Consultant, you will join a forward-thinking company that values innovation and collaboration in a fully remote environment, ideally suited for those in the EU or East Coast US. With a strong emphasis on professional growth, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to significant Linux kernel developments while working alongside client engineering teams to solve complex challenges. The company fosters a culture of community engagement and technical excellence, ensuring that your contributions not only impact clients but also advance your standing within the upstream community.
