Principal Software Engineer
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Sep 28, 2026. First seen by Alion on Sep 27, 2026. Red Hat scores A on the Alion truth index.
About the Job :
The Red Hat Engineering teams are looking for Principal Software Engineers to join our Core Platforms Engineering group to work on Linux & Container technologies.
These teams are responsible for all aspects related to Virtualization & Confidential Computing in Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
The Virtualization team’s work includes core kernel virtualization (KVM) system, firmware and device emulation for storage, memory and networking, its management layer and associated tools, as well as its counterpart aspects in the guest instance on top of Red Hat or third-party virtualized platforms as well as public clouds.
The Confidential Computing team’s work includes enablement in the Linux Kernel and related ecosystem, attestation technologies, in multiple form factors like containers, clusters and virtual machines.
You will be responsible for all aspects of design, coding and quality, you will collaborate within an Agile Scrum team to design, develop, validate and support updates to existing features, as well as emerging functions in the Virtualization Stack and Confidential Computing space.
As a Principal Software Engineer, you will have the chance to work with some of the brightest engineers in the open source industry while acting as an advocate for our customers. We'll need you to have excellent technical and creative thinking skills, as well as the ability to act as a technical leader, as you'll be leading the development of innovative solutions to technical issues on a daily basis. This position is a great opportunity to make a difference in the Linux virtualization & confidential computing space while working on solutions used by thousands of people around the world.
What you will do:
- Play a leading part in upstream and downstream projects related to the team you are in
- Working in the Agile Scrum methodology,
- take end-to-end ownership of specific areas including design in upstream development, downstream validation and packaging, L3 troubleshooting and support.
- take shared responsibility around problem resolution, ongoing quality engineering, as well as handling vulnerabilities and other backports targeted at released versions.
- Have a leading role in your team
- Virtualization and Confidential computing ecosystem in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, including but not limited to Qemu, Libvirt, Attestation, Kata containers, Virt-Tools, testing frame works & suites.
What you will bring:
- 8+ years of experience applying core languages such as Python, C, Rust or Go to large, enterprise projects.
- Proven ability to design and architect large, complex features at the Operating System level, as well as debug, troubleshoot and maintain those for enterprise customers.
- Ability to use Containers and CI/CD technologies in authoring, building, and automating build and test pipelines.
- For positions in the Virtualization team, ability to work in the Linux Virtualization stack, https://linux-kvm.org/page/Main_Page, KVM, QEMU, Libvirt and other virtualization technologies, Cloud or Kubernetes technologies.
- For positions in the Confidential Computing team, ability to work in the CNCF confidential containers (https://confidentialcontainers.org/) related technologies.
- Ability to leverage AI-assisted development and/or validation tools and techniques
- Required Full English proficiency (verbal and written). Ability to work with globally distributed teams or communities.
The following are considered a plus:
- Past experience collaborating with Open-Source communities like KVM, Qemu, Libvirt, CoCo, Kata, Avocado
- Public code contributions, Speaking opportunities at conferences, Blogs or articles published
- Significant such contributions and evidence around leadership
About Red Hat
Red Hat is the world’s leading provider of enterpriseopen source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to deliver high-performing Linux, cloud, container, and Kubernetes technologies. Spread across 40+ countries, our associates work flexibly across work environments, from in-office, to office-flex, to fully remote, depending on the requirements of their role. Red Hatters are encouraged to bring their best ideas, no matter their title or tenure. We're a leader in open source because of our open and inclusive environment. We hire creative, passionate people ready to contribute their ideas, help solve complex problems, and make an impact.
Inclusion at Red Hat
Red Hat’s culture is built on the open source principles of transparency, collaboration, and inclusion, where the best ideas can come from anywhere and anyone. When this is realized, it empowers people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to come together to share ideas, challenge the status quo, and drive innovation. Our aspiration is that everyone experiences this culture with equal opportunity and access, and that all voices are not only heard but also celebrated. We hope you will join our celebration, and we welcome and encourage applicants from all the beautiful dimensions that compose our global village.
Equal Opportunity Policy (EEO)
Red Hat is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer. We review applications for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, veteran status, genetic information, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, or any other basis prohibited by law.