Software Engineering Manager, Kernel Development

Overview As Software Engineering Manager, Kernel Development, you guide a team of systems engineers to design, implement, and optimize core Linux kernel components for Google’s cloud-scale infrastructure. You partner with tech leads and cross-functional teams to align roadmaps and secure executive approvals for platform features. You champion testing, performance profiling, and security milestones to prevent regressions and preserve data integrity. You will shape architecture for subsystems like memory management and CPU scheduling, driving modernization across the platform stack. This role blends technical depth with people leadership to deliver high-impact kernel innovations at scale. ResponsibilitiesLead and grow a team of systems software engineers to deliver kernel-focused workDrive architectural design, implementation, and optimization of core Linux kernel componentsCollaborate with Tech Leads and cross-functional partners to align roadmaps and set technical boundariesAdvocate robust testing methodologies, performance profiling, and regression reductionWork with platform infrastructure and Google Cloud leadership to obtain strategic/architectural approvals for new platform featuresShape technical architecture for subsystems such as memory management, CPU scheduling, BPF, and file systemsPromote fleet efficiency, security milestones, and modernization of the development stackManage project goals and coordinate multi-team deployments across sites Key requirementsBachelor’s degree, or equivalent practical experience8 years of software development experience3 years in a technical leadership roleExperience in people management (guiding technical teams, resource allocation, mentoring)Experience in computer architecture and low-level system software development in CExperience with operating systems, including CPU scheduling and memory managementleadership and people managementcross-functional collaborationmentoring and coachingLinux kernel programming and kernel internals (scheduler, memory management, virtualization/KVM, BPF tracing, PMU)proficiency in C; experience with modern systems languages such as C++ or Rustknowledge of CPU architectures (x86_64, arm64) and memory models