About this role
Job title: Junior Kernel Engineer
About the Role Join Canonical's Kernel Team as a Junior Kernel Engineer. This home-based, worldwide role offers the chance to help build and maintain Ubuntu's Linux kernels across platforms, collaborate with a globally distributed team, and grow your kernel-level software skills early in your career.
What You'll Do
- Collaborate regularly with a globally distributed kernel engineering team to develop and maintain Ubuntu Linux kernels for a range of platforms.
- Learn from senior mentors to understand the inner workings of the Linux kernel and its distribution, and contribute to security updates, patching, and testing.
- Work closely with external silicon, cloud, or hardware manufacturer delivery teams on bleeding-edge platforms.
- Diagnose and resolve kernel issues reported by customers, the community, and discovered through your own rigorous testing.
- Take personal responsibility for delivering initiatives in your first year (e.g., optimized solutions for silicon/cloud platforms, Raspberry Pi and RISC-V developer platforms, embedded Ubuntu support, security hardening, third-party driver integration, and expanded driver support for new PC platforms).
- Travel globally twice a year for company engineering events.
What We're Looking For
- Recent university graduates or early career professionals with a background in software engineering.
- Motivated to work in a distributed team and able to write high-quality C, with knowledge of Rust considered a plus.
- Eager to develop kernel-level software across security updates, patching, and testing.
- Comfortable working across partners and customer communities in a distributed environment, and willing to travel globally twice a year.
Nice to Have
- Experience with Linux kernel development or embedded platforms (e.g., Raspberry Pi, RISC-V).
- Familiarity with operating systems coursework or practical kernel-related projects.
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary and benefits are not disclosed. Canonical offers a distributed global team with in-person alignment sessions 2-4 times per year.