At a Glance
- Tasks: Optimise kernel performance and memory management for cutting-edge mobile workloads.
- Company: Leading international semiconductor and consumer electronics company.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic work environment with a focus on collaboration and career advancement.
- Why this job: Join a team driving innovation in mobile technology and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: 10+ years of OS kernel development experience and expert-level knowledge in memory management.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Our client is an international semiconductor and consumer electronics company.
The Role:
- Optimize memory management internals: buddy allocator, slab/SLUB, page reclaim and LRU/MGLRU, memory compaction and defragmentation, transparent huge pages, page-fault and TLB-shootdown paths, copy-on-write behaviour.
- Drive scheduler performance: run-queue and load-balancing behaviour, energy-aware scheduling, wakeup latency, task placement on heterogeneous (big.LITTLE/DynamIQ) topologies, cpufreq/cpuidle governor interaction.
- Optimize synchronization primitives and lock-heavy paths: futex fast/slow paths, mutexes and rwsems, spinlocks/qspinlocks, RCU, seqlocks, per-CPU data, memory ordering and barriers on ARM64.
- Analyse and improve IPC and syscall paths: context-switch cost, binder-style IPC, shared memory, vDSO, interrupt/softirq handling.
- Identify bottlenecks on flagship mobile workloads (gaming, day-of-use, camera, AI inference) using PMU counters, ftrace/perf, eBPF, lockdep/lockstat, and power measurement with mA/mAh attribution.
- Land production-quality kernel patches from hypothesis through benchmarking to ship, with measured latency and energy impact.
Must-Haves:
- 10+ years of OS kernel development in C (Linux or comparable), with patches shipped to production systems at scale.
- Expert-level understanding of MM internals: physical/virtual memory management, buddy and slab allocation, reclaim, compaction, page tables, TLB management.
- Deep scheduler knowledge: CFS/EEVDF internals, load balancing, preemption, real-time classes, energy-aware scheduling.
- Mastery of kernel synchronization: locking primitives, RCU, lock-free techniques, the ARM64 memory model and barrier semantics.
- Proven kernel performance-analysis skills: PMU counters, ftrace/perf, eBPF, lock contention and latency analysis.
- Strong ARM64 architecture grounding: exception levels, cache hierarchy and maintenance, TLBs, memory ordering.
Kernel Engineer in Cambridge employer: Microtech Global
As a Principal Kernel Engineer at our client, an esteemed international semiconductor and consumer electronics company, you will thrive in a dynamic work culture that prioritises innovation and collaboration. With a strong commitment to employee growth, the company offers extensive professional development opportunities and encourages a healthy work-life balance, making it an excellent employer for those seeking meaningful and rewarding careers in cutting-edge technology.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Kernel Engineer in Cambridge
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Microtech Global or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Microtech Global.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Microtech Global.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Microtech Global that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Kernel Engineer in Cambridge
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Microtech Global.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Microtech Global and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Microtech Global
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Microtech Global uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
