Linux Kernels Software Engineer

OpenAI OpenAI · AI Frontier · San Francisco, CA · Scaling

OpenAI is seeking a founding/lead Linux kernel developer for their Scaling team to design and develop Linux kernel components, focusing on hardware-software intersection for AI workloads. Responsibilities include leading kernel stack development, implementing drivers (DMA, PCIe, NICs, RDMA), driving system-scale networking, collaborating with vendors, and building userspace support software. Qualifications include deep Linux kernel subsystem knowledge (PCIe, RDMA, networking), strong C/C++/Python skills, and experience with embedded systems and building from scratch.

What you'd actually do

  1. Lead and bootstrap the development of our Linux kernel stack to support high-performance systems.
  2. Design and implement kernel drivers, including for functionality related to DMA, PCIe, NICs, and RDMA.
  3. Drive end-to-end development of system-scale networking, including required kernel and other low-level software.
  4. Collaborate with vendors to integrate their technologies within our systems.
  5. Bring up and debug the kernel on new platforms.

Skills

Required

  • Linux kernel development
  • PCIe
  • DMA
  • RDMA
  • NICs
  • networking
  • C
  • C++
  • Python
  • Linux shell scripting
  • embedded systems development
  • bootloaders
  • hardware/software integration

Nice to have

  • Rust

What the JD emphasized

  • founding/lead Linux kernel developer
  • build systems from scratch