Apple · 3 weeks ago
Linux Kernel Engineer
Seattle, Washington, United States
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
$140K/yr - $258K/yr
5+ years expApple is a company that crafts experiences transforming entire industries, fueled by diversity and innovation. They are seeking a Linux Kernel Engineer to own the kernel lifecycle, ensuring stability and performance while collaborating with various teams. The role involves designing CI and validation pipelines, debugging kernel issues, and maintaining device drivers.
AppsArtificial Intelligence (AI)BroadcastingDigital EntertainmentFoundational AIMedia and EntertainmentMobile DevicesOperating SystemsTVWearables
Responsibilities
Design, build, and operate CI and validation pipelines that compile, test, and release Linux kernels across multiple hardware platforms and Linux distributions
Lead triage of kernel regressions, investigate crashes and performance issues, drive fixes to resolution, and qualify new hardware at the kernel layer
Collaborate with engineers across Apple to port, maintain, and upstream device drivers, shepherd kernel changes into production, and continuously raise the bar on kernel quality, automation, and release discipline
Qualification
Required
Bachelor of Computer Science or equivalent skills and work experience
At least 5+ years experience developing or maintaining the Linux kernel or low-level system software (e.g., kernel modules, device drivers, or core OS components)
Proven ability to debug kernel level issues (panics, hangs, performance regressions) using tools such as perf, ftrace, bpftrace, crash, gdb, or similar
Deep understanding of kernel tuning for stability and performance across many subsystem domains
Hands-on experience developing CI/CD systems integrating operating system components and managing kernel releases
Strong programming skills in C, plus proficiency in at least one of Rust, Go, Python, or Bash
Solid understanding of operating system fundamentals: processes, memory management, filesystems, networking, scheduling, interrupts, and hardware/driver interactions
Experience working in a RHEL based Linux environment, including RPM packaging and the RHEL kernel back port and release process
Strong collaboration and communication skills; comfortable working with cross-functional teams (SRE, platform, hardware, security)
Preferred
Proven track record of upstream contributions to the Linux kernel project or similar upstreams
Benefits
Comprehensive medical and dental coverage
Retirement benefits
A range of discounted products and free services
Reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition
Discretionary bonuses or commission payments
Relocation
Company
Apple
Apple is a technology company that designs, manufactures, and markets consumer electronics, personal computers, and software.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Apple has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
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Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (6998)
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2023 (3939)
2022 (4822)
2021 (4060)
2020 (3656)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$5.67BKey Investors
Berkshire HathawayMicrosoftSequoia Capital
2025-05-05Post Ipo Debt· $4.5B
2025-01-16Post Ipo Debt· $0.31M
2021-04-30Post Ipo Equity
Leadership Team
Tim Cook
CEO
Craig Federighi
SVP, Software Engineering
Recent News
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2025-12-01
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2025-09-25
Company data provided by crunchbase