Linux Kernel & Virtualization (KVM) Development (f/m/x)

Introduction
Are you interested in operating systems development and Open Source? Your favorites are Linux and low-level programming? Would you like to be part of an Open Source community, and do you intend to build up a reputation as an Open Source maintainer? If so, our team is the right place for you!

Our Linux development team is responsible for enhancing the Linux kernel for IBM Z / IBM LinuxOne including its device drivers, libraries, tools, compilers, debuggers, virtualization (KVM) and test automation (CI/CD). We tightly collaborate with the international development teams of IBM (e.g. hardware and firmware development), the global maintainers of Open Source communities, and our Linux distribution partners (Red Hat, SUSE, Canonical). Our focus is on the support of the IBM Z / LinuxONE architecture, e.g. new processor instructions, new I/O attachments (PCIe, NVMe, Ethernet, RDMA etc.) and accelerators for AI and cryptographic functions. Linux on IBM Z / LinuxONE forms the basis of many of IBM's commercial solutions in Cloud, Analytics, Finance, and AI.

Your Role and Responsibilities
As a key member of our dynamic team, you will play a vital role in crafting exceptional software experiences.

Your responsibilities will comprise of design and specifications for new enhancements, coding (including test automation), problem determination and bug fixing, performance analysis, submitting your code to upstream community repositories, and solving client problems. Your attendance at Open Source community meetings is recommended and supported, and client facing activities (e.g. client support, providing lectures at conferences) are possible. You will closely interact with the respective Open Source communities ("upstream integration" of your code) and our distribution partners (Red Hat, SUSE, Canonical).

In this job offering, we are specifically looking for a new team member to grow our KVM development team (focusing on KVM/kernel, QEMU & libvirt).

Required Technical and Professional Expertise

• 3+ years of experience in open source development in one or more areas of KVM, Linux kernel, QEMU, libvirt, virtio, vfio
• 2+ years of experience in low-level/assembler development (preferably on non-x86 architectures)
• 2+ years of experience in operating systems and virtualization/hypervisor development
• Expert skills in operating systems internals (e.g. memory management & task scheduling, interrupts, device drivers)
• Expert skills in source code repository systems (e.g. git), scripting languages (e.g. Python) and test Automation (e.g. Jenkins) skills
• English (fluent) and German (B1) language skills
• You are highly motivated

Preferred Technical and Professional Expertise

• Contributions to Open Source projects or Open Source maintainer status (for multiple years)
• Skills in current I/O technologies (e.g. PCI, NVMe, RDMA)
• Skills in virtualization and emulation (e.g. qemu TCG) technologies
• Skills in IBM Z architecture ("Principles of Operations"), Z assembler and I/O concepts
• Skills in embedded system architectures