Kernel Build Automation Engineer - Ubuntu Linux
Canonical · Home based - EMEA · Engineering
Curated summary
A remote engineering opening from Canonical with official ATS source details and a direct employer apply link.
Full official source details
This section is loaded from the official Greenhouse source for this role.
Additional source fields
- Employment Length: Full-time
- Core skills: Analysers, Contributor, Developer, Doer, Problem Solver, Technologist, Tester
- External Departments (website): Engineering
- One line job description: Work with our global public cloud partners to deliver and maintain high-quality, high-performance Ubuntu kernels for the best possible open-source experience for our mutual customers.
- LinkedIn Posting Level: Mid-Senior
Official description
Ubuntu Linux is one of the most widely used Linux distributions in the world today and one of the top contributing factors to its popularity is its wide availability and ease of installation. Canonical, the publisher of Ubuntu Linux, is seeking a senior software engineer to lead an initiative to take the configuration and build of the Ubuntu Linux kernel to a new level of simplicity and automation to make it even easier to distribute to clients tailored to their specific system needs.
We are looking for an industry veteran who has ‘been there, done that’ across a broad range of the software stack and is able to draw on that experience to guide this new effort. You will be expected to take charge of the implementation from concept through delivery and strong leadership skills are a must along with a tenacious commitment to detail and strict adherence to project schedules.
While this role does not require previous Linux kernel internals development experience (although that would be highly regarded), a more in-depth grasp of the build system beyond typing ‘make’ on the command line is essential. Advanced git usage and kernel patching experience will also be critical to the role.
Location: Home-based in the Europe, Middle East, or Africa regions.
What the role entails
- Lead the design and implementation of an advanced automated Linux build control system
- Work closely with other engineering teams to deploy seamlessly into the Canonical ecosystem
- Have no fear in delving into the depths of kbuild, kconfig, and make to determine the optimal solution to issues faced
- Be eager to propose innovative solutions to kernel build roadblocks and drive acceptance to upstream
What we are looking for in you
- Significant programming ability in Python, with strong C skills also highly regarded
- Demonstrated experience in patching and configuration of the Linux kernel. A strong working knowledge of kconfig and git will be required.
- Ability to communicate effectively in English, both written and oral
- Solid background with popular open-source projects for creating custom Linux-based distributions such as Yocto or buildroot
- Strong grasp of git
Nice-to-have skills
- Javascript or Golang programming ability
- Experience in writing CLI tools, including interactions with REST APIs
- Solid background in CI/CD and process automation
- Prior experience developing with software packaging formats, with direct Ubuntu/Debian/Snap experience being highly regarded
What we offer colleagues
We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide. We revisit compensation annually (and more often for graduates and associates) to ensure we recognize outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. We provide all team members with additional benefits which reflect our values and ideals. We balance our programs to meet local needs and ensure fairness globally.
- Distributed work environment with twice-yearly team sprints in person
- Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year
- Annual compensation review
- Recognition rewards
- Annual holiday leave
- Maternity and paternity leave
- Team Member Assistance Program & Wellness Platform
- Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues
- Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long-haul company events
About Canonical
Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open-source projects and the platform for AI, IoT, and the cloud, we are changing the world of software. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence; in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since our inception in 2004. Working here is a step into the future and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.
Canonical is an equal opportunity employer
We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background create a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.
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Application questions shown by the source
- First Name (Required)
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- During this application process I agree to use only my own words. I understand that plagiarism, the use of AI or other generated content will disqualify my application. (Required)
- How did you perform in mathematics at high school? (Required)
- How did you perform in your native language at high school? (Required)
- Please share your rationale or evidence for the high school performance selections above. Make reference to provincial, state or nation-wide scoring systems, rankings, or recognition awards, or to competitive or selective college entrance results such as SAT or ACT scores, JAMB, matriculation results, IB results etc. We recognise every system is different but we will ask you to justify your selections above. (Required)
- What was your bachelor's university degree result, or expected result if you have not yet graduated? Please include the grading system to help us understand your result e.g. ‘85 out of 100’, ‘2:1 (Grading system: first class, 2:1, 2:2, third class)’ or ‘GPA score of 3.8/4.0 (predicted)’. We have hired outstanding individuals who did not attend or complete university. If this describes you, please continue with your application and enter ‘no degree’. (Required)
- Are you comfortable using your own computer running Ubuntu? (Required)
- Please summarise any experience you have in software build automation and/or packaging. (Optional)
- If you have made direct contributions to Linux kernel mainline or other open source projects, please provide links here. (Optional)
- We require all colleagues to meet in person 2-4 times a year, at internal company events lasting between 1-2 weeks. We try to pick new and interesting locations that will likely require international travel and entry requirement visas and vaccinations. Are you willing and able to commit to this? (Required)
- Please confirm that you have read and agree to Canonical's Recruitment Privacy Notice and Privacy Policy. (Required)
- In which country do you currently work? (Required)
- In the past ten years, looking only at the time since you graduated your first undergraduate degree, how many companies have you worked for? (Required)
- Which gender do you identify as? (Required)
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