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Linux Kernel Consultant (Remote/Anywhere)

We're a global consultancy, specializing in delivering the benefits of Open Source software to the commercial world.

Collabora

Employee count: 51-200

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About This Role

Ship kernel code that runs on millions of devices worldwide. You'll work directly on upstream Linux development for a flagship consumer product while contributing to the broader kernel community. This isn't just maintenance work, you'll be solving hard problems and your code goes upstream.

This is both deep technical work AND collaborative consulting, you'll partner with client engineering teams to solve their toughest kernel challenges while championing upstream-first approaches.

Location: Fully remote (any timezone, preference for overlap with EU/US hours)

Travel: Optional conference attendance

What You'll Actually Do

Upstream First: Contribute directly to mainline Linux kernel development: schedulers, power management, device drivers and core subsystems
Real-World Impact: Support and optimise Linux for extremely popular consumer devices used by millions of people
Solve Hard Problems: 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
Community Collaboration: Work with upstream maintainers and represent Collabora at conferences
Client Partnership: 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
Navigate Constraints: Balance technical excellence with real-world pressures: customer deadlines, hardware limitations, business priorities, while keeping code quality high
Be a Technical Advisor: Explain complex kernel decisions to product teams, provide honest timelines and build trust through transparent communication
Mentor & Lead: Share knowledge with the team and help shape our kernel engineering practices

What We're Looking For

3+ years of Linux kernel development experience
Strong C programming skills and deep understanding of kernel internals
Proven debugging abilities - you can diagnose issues from vague bug reports and limited reproduction steps
Communication skills - good English language skills both spoken and written for patch reviews, documentation and client discussions
Self-directed work style - you thrive in a remote, asynchronous environment

Nice to Have's

Open source track record - active participation in kernel mailing lists, patch submissions, or subsystem maintenance
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
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
Distribution experience (Arch, Debian, Yocto, Buildroot)
Rust programming skills
Previous product support experience
Technical presentation skills - conference talks, customer presentations or internal knowledge sharing
Experience mentoring junior engineers or reviewing others' kernel patches

What We Offer - Compensation & Benefits

We offer a competitive benefits package tailored to each country in which we have employees, plus a core global benefit offering accessible to all Collaborans. Our core benefits include:
Competitive salary based on experience and location
Office setup budget
Sabbatical/Retention of Services - after five years continuous service
Co-working policy - support for working outside home
Wellness assessments - biannual well-being assessments with a trained mental health specialist
Conference attendance -we cover expenses and encourage speaking opportunities
Open source time - contribute to projects you care about

What We Offer - Work Environment

Fully remote - work where you’re most productive
Global team - engineers across Europe, Americas and Asia
No on-call rotations - this isn't support work
Sustainable pace - we're here for the long term
Flexible hours - manage your own schedule

What We Offer - Growth & Impact

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

What We Offer - Cultures & Values

Upstream first - we believe the best solutions benefit everyone
Transparency - open discussion about technical decisions, business constraints and project challenges
Pragmatism - perfect is the enemy of good; we ship quality code that solves real problems
Respect for expertise - we trust engineers to make technical decisions
Collaborative - we succeed by working together, internally and with the community
Sustainable pace - we're here for the long haul, not death marches

Our Interview Process

We respect your time and provide a clear, structured process:
Application Review (within 1 week) - we look at your code and contributions
Initial Chat (30 min) - casual conversation about your experience and our work
Technical Interview (2 - 3h)
Technical Deep-Dive - discuss kernel architecture, past debugging challenges and how you approach problem-solving (no whiteboard coding)
Code Review Session - review real patches together, discuss trade-offs
Client Scenario Discussion - talk through a realistic customer situation:
- balancing technical debt
- timeline pressure
- upstream goals (we want to see your thought process, not a "right answer")
Head of Consulting Discussion (60 min) - meet the Head of Consulting, ask about day-to-day work and how Collabora works, discuss compensation and benefits
Offer (within 1 week of final interview)
Total timeline: 3-4 weeks from application to offer
We provide feedback at every stage, and you'll always know where you stand

What Happen's Next

We'll acknowledge your application within 2 business days
Initial response within 1 week
Even if we don't move forward, we'll tell you why

Collabora's Commitment

We're committed to building a diverse team and inclusive environment. We encourage applications from people under-represented in tech
We evaluate candidates based on skills and contributions, not pedigree. If you're unsure whether you qualify, apply anyway—imposter syndrome is real and you might be exactly who we're looking for.
We recognise that the combination of deep kernel expertise AND consulting skills is rare. If you're strong in one area and interested in developing the other, we want to hear from you.

Apply now

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About the job

Apply before

Jan 20, 2026

Posted on

Nov 21, 2025

Job type

Full Time

Experience level

Senior

Location requirements

United Kingdom

Hiring timezones

United Kingdom +/- 0 hours

About the job

About Collabora

Learn more about Collabora and their company culture.

View company profile

We're a global consultancy, specializing in delivering the benefits of Open Source software to the commercial world. We enable our clients to develop the best solutions, whether writing a line of code or shaping a longer-term strategic software development plan. By harnessing the potential of community-driven Open Source projects, and re-using existing components, we help our clients reduce time to market and focus on creating product differentiation.

Since our founding in 2005, we've been at the forefront of Open Source technology, developing solutions that power today’s leading products across a number of industry segments, included in millions of devices worldwide. Whether its the Linux Kernel or LibreOffice, our expertise spans across all key areas of Open Source software development, from graphics, multimedia, and web engines, to complete, integrated solutions.

Our team of engineers and developers – nearly 100 strong – are among the most motivated and active Open Source contributors and maintainers around the world. They have a passion for technology and Open Source, a key part of our core values. When not working on client projects, Collaborans volunteer their time in their respective expertise domains and participate in the strategic planning of the Open Source projects they invest themselves in.

From tailoring the latest Open Source technologies to your projects to integrating Open Source methodologies into your organization or contributing your code back to the community, you can count on us to help you navigate the ever-evolving world of Open Source. Contact us today to see how we can work together.

About

Learn more about the company and their company culture.

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Tech stack

Learn about the tools and technologies that Collabora uses to build, market, and sell its products.

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Gallium

JavaScript

Python

HTML5

CSS 3

C++

Rust

Ubuntu

Debian

CentOS

30 more

Employees can create an account to update this tech stack.

Employee benefits

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Healthcare benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

Paid parental leave

Paid family leave for all parents to support you and your family.

Retirement benefits

401(k) and regional retirement plans to help you invest in your future.

Generous vacation

We have a generous 4 weeks PTO policy to help encourage work-life balance.

View Collabora's employee benefits

Employee benefits

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Company employees can update this section.

Apply now

Please let Collabora know you found this job on Himalayas. This helps us grow!

Apply now

About the job

Apply before

Jan 20, 2026

Posted on

Nov 21, 2025

Job type

Full Time

Experience level

Senior

Location requirements

United Kingdom

Hiring timezones

United Kingdom +/- 0 hours

About the job

Claim this profile

Collabora

Company size

51-200 employees

Founded in

2005

Chief executive officer

Philippe Kalaf

Markets

Open Source Technical Consulting Software Development

Employees live in

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