Linux Distribution Specialist (fully remote)

Role overview:

We are seeking an experienced Linux Distribution Specialist to contribute to the development of balenaOS, a Yocto project-based embedded Linux distribution specialized in running container workloads.

We believe the future of operating systems design will involve immutable, sandboxed, self-contained components that provide modular functionality. You will be deeply involved in shaping the future of balenaOS to become such an operating system, while sustaining its current use in production environments.

Responsibilities:

• Develop, integrate, and maintain embedded Linux platforms with an emphasis on long-term sustainability.
• Support networking and communication stacks, including TCP/IP, cellular (LTE), Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, as well as advanced routing and proxy scenarios.
• Work with virtualization or containerization technologies for edge deployments.
• Work on lower-level system components, including bootloaders, device drivers, and kernel modules, supporting a range of hardware interfaces and protocols.
• Assist in diagnosing and resolving field issues, providing support to internal and external stakeholders, and ensuring ongoing reliability through automated updates and testing.

Qualifications:

• Proven experience as a Linux distribution maintainer - preferably an embedded distribution based on the Yocto Project or Buildroot, and/or experience with immutable Linux distributions such as Fedora CoreOS or Flatcar Container Linux.
• Practical proven experience with the Linux GPU stack - in particular, Nvidia GPUs. Wayland, MESA, openGL, and DRM kernel drivers.
• Knowledge about the Linux NPU stack, both Intel / AMD and embedded platforms, and their use in edgeAI.
• Strong background in networking (TCP/IP stack, firewall rules, network managers, modem managers, etc.) in Linux environments.
• Understanding of container technologies, system virtualization, and deployments in constrained environments.
• Ability to support and collaborate with cross-functional teams, including customer-facing engineering.

Preferred:

• Contributions to relevant Linux distributions and/or relevant open source projects.
• A deeper understanding of balenaOS.
• Pacific Time Zone would be a bonus, but not a requirement.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary
• Autonomous vacation allowance
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave for new parents
• Equipment of your choice and hardware for side projects
• Books of your choice to help you in your work
• Annual company gathering in an international location, Balena Summit 2024
• Working with a talented and globally distributed team
• Flexible schedules by default

Who we are:

Balena is a highly distributed team that has embraced a remote-first approach since 2013. We are a group of individuals from across the globe working together to achieve our mission : “Enable people to leverage technology to address the real world challenges of our time.”.

Balena wants to do good in the world and here is our why . Our focus is on enabling team members to be the best they can be rather than controlling what everyone does from the top down, and this creates challenges that require just as much creative thinking as our product.

How we work:

• We have been remote-first since 2013 and have team members in different corners of the world who work and communicate asynchronously.
• We like to think from first principles and are usually resistant to using ready-made solutions unless we deeply understand the rationale.
• We organize ourselves based on the best use of our collective abilities to solve our highest priority problems at any given time, rather than by a strict hierarchy. Read more about our Intentional Work Framework .
• We practice radical candor and transparency with open, honest, and clear communication.
• We’re not afraid to fail as long as we learn from our mistakes.
• We’re always looking for common patterns that allow us to reduce complexity.
• We embrace short-term pain for long-term gain, building products that will stand the test of time.

Does any of this sound interesting to you? Work with us and we will offer you the opportunity to add value by finding and solving problems while constantly learning your craft. We will enable and support your growth, while you should also be open and flexible to figure things out and challenge yourself.