Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Collabora is a company focused on upstream Linux development and they are seeking a Linux Kernel Consultant. In this role, you will contribute to mainline Linux kernel development while collaborating with client engineering teams to solve kernel challenges and advocate for upstream-first approaches.
Responsibilities
- Contribute directly to mainline Linux kernel development: schedulers, power management, device drivers and core subsystems
- Support and optimise Linux for extremely popular consumer devices used by millions of people
- 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. Just because Linux doesn't do it currently, doesn't mean we can't invent it
- Work with upstream maintainers and represent Collabora at conferences
- 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
- Balance technical excellence with real-world pressures: customer deadlines, hardware limitations, business priorities, while keeping code quality high
- Explain complex kernel decisions to product teams, provide honest timelines and build trust through transparent communication
Skills
- 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. You do not need to have seen everything, but you should know how to find your way. We are looking for someone who is still building their reputation in the upstream community and wants a role that accelerates that
- 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
- 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, explain kernel internals to product teams, manage expectations across multiple projects and advocate for upstream solutions while respecting customer timelines
- 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
Benefits
- Conference attendance - we cover expenses and encourage speaking opportunities
- Open source time - contribute to projects you care about
- Office setup budget
- Sabbatical/Retention of Services, availableafter five years continuous service
- Co-working policy -support for working outside home
- Wellness assessments -biannual well-being assessments with a trained mental health specialist
- Fully remote - work where you27re most productive
- No on-call rotations - while the role involves supporting client engineering teams, there are no on-call rotations or out-of-hours incident response expectations
- Flexible hours - manage your own schedule
- Upstream contributions - your work shapes Linux, not just client products
- Technical leadership track - path to principal engineer, subsystem expertise or technical architecture roles
- Consulting track - develop deeper client relationships, lead customer engagements or shape service offerings
- Mentorship opportunities - both receiving and providing guidance
- Conference speaking - we support presentation submissions and provide coaching
- Recognition - your contributions are public, building your professional reputation
Company Overview