Senior Software Engineer, Kernel

WEKA is architecting a new approach to the enterprise data stack built for the age of reasoning. NeuralMesh by WEKA  sets the standard for agentic AI data infrastructure with a cloud and AI-native software solution that can be deployed anywhere. It transforms legacy data silos into data pipelines that dramatically increase GPU utilization and make AI model training and inference, machine learning, and other compute-intensive workloads run faster, work more efficiently, and consume less energy.

WEKA is a pre-IPO, growth-stage company on a hyper-growth trajectory. We’ve raised $375M in capital with dozens of world-class venture capital and strategic investors. We help the world’s largest and most innovative enterprises and research organizations, including 12 of the Fortune 50, achieve discoveries, insights, and business outcomes faster and more sustainably. We’re passionate about solving our customers’ most complex data challenges to accelerate intelligent innovation and business value. If you share our passion, we invite you to join us on this exciting journey.

What you'll be doing:

As aSenior/Staff Kernel Engineer at Weka, your primary responsibility will be collaborating with other team members on our high-performance filesystem solution and releasing our kernel driver, which is written in C on top of Linux, as part of the Weka filesystem product. 

The kernel-based filesystem driver provides file access and logic to Weka filesystems and the ability to connect clients to the Weka cluster. This enables the Weka system to provide applications with local filesystem semantics and performance while providing centrally-managed, shareable, and resilient storage. 

Our entire kernel team proudly delivers high-quality kernel drivers and you will have the opportunity to quickly become an integral contributor.

As a Senior Kernel Engineer, you’ll:

• Design and develop core product features in a complex software system with a focus on Linux kernel and OS infrastructure layers
• Provide architectural guidance and fresh ideas in our core kernel driver and related interfaces
• Locate performance bottlenecks within Linux and/or its driver or other components, and suggest & implement enhancements to meet target performance goals

Most importantly, assume nothing - constantly revisit how we work and whether our productivity is perfectly tuned

Requirements  

• 10+ years of hands-on experience in Linux kernel development and debugging
• Master of low-level C development in Linux kernel, with vast experience in performance-sensitive code and a solid understanding of the VFS, page cache & file system concepts
• Familiarity with kernel development methodologies and kernel structure, as well as experience in developing kernel modules
• Top-notch experience in the Linux Kernel Driver model & development
• Lock/lockless synchronization between kernel space & userspace
• Broad knowledge and understanding in Linux internals, kernel subsystems (Memory Management, IO, Storage, Networking), and kernel crash and core analysis skills
• Knowledge of IO tools and performance benchmarks using standard tools
• A deep understanding of threading and locking mechanisms
• A highly motivated and independent engineer with a positive attitude, a creative and open mind, and fluency in English.

It's nice if you have:

• A background in working with the Linux kernel community
• Experience contributing/up-streaming/maintaining kernel code
• Knowledge of storage subsystems, storage stack, and protocols (NVMe, NFS, Samba, filesystems), along with development experience with enterprise-grade storage solutions 
• Experience hacking complex open-source projects

The WEKA Way

• We are Accountable: We take full ownership, always-even when things don’t go as planned. We lead with integrity, show up with responsibility & ownership, and hold ourselves and each other to the highest standards.
• We are Brave: We question the status quo, push boundaries, and take smart risks when needed. We welcome challenges and embrace debates as opportunities for growth, turning courage into fuel for innovation.
• We are Collaborative: T rue collaboration isn’t only about working together. It’s about lifting one another up to succeed collectively. We are team-oriented and communicate with empathy and respect. We challenge each other and conduct positive conflict resolution. We are being transparent about our goals and results. And together, we’re unstoppable.
• We are Customer Centric: Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We actively listen and prioritize the success of our customers, and every decision we make is driven by how we can better serve, support, and empower them to succeed. When our customers win, we win.

Concerned that you don’t meet every qualification above?

Studies have shown that women and people of color may be less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t meet every qualification specified. At WEKA, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If you are excited about this position but are concerned that your past work experience doesn’t match up perfectly with the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway - you may be just the right candidate for this or other roles at WEKA.

 WEKA is an equal opportunity employer that prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.