Principal Software Engineer

Job Summary

The Red Hat Ecosystems Engineering group is seeking a Principal Software Integration Engineer to bridge the gap between cutting-edge partner accelerator hardware and Red Hat’s open-source software stack. This is a highly technical, "hands-on" role for an engineer who thrives at the intersection of the Linux kernel, virtualization, Kubernetes and high-performance networking.

Rather than focusing purely on application logic, you will be responsible for hardware enablement and system-level integration. You will ensure that GPUs, DPUs, and other edge accelerators are seamlessly orchestrated within Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Red Hat OpenShift and Virtualization environments and Red Hat AI platforms. If you are a "problem solver" who enjoys debugging the complex layers between a physical and a virtualized AI workloads, this role is for you.

At Red Hat, our commitment to open source innovation extends beyond our products - it’s embedded in how we work and grow. Red Hatters embrace change – especially in our fast-moving technological landscape – and have a strong growth mindset. That's why we encourage our teams to proactively, thoughtfully, and ethically use AI to simplify their workflows, cut complexity, and boost efficiency. This empowers our associates to focus on higher-impact work, creating smart, more innovative solutions that solve our customers' most pressing challenges.

What You Will Do

• Assist with integration of partner accelerator hardware (GPUs, DPUs) into the Red Hat ecosystem, ensuring drivers, firmware, and orchestration layers work in harmony

• Build and optimize solutions using KVM, QEMU, and libvirt to ensure high-performance hardware pass-through and abstraction

• Design and implement robust networking paths using Advanced Software Defined Network (SDN) and Virtual Networking

• Act as the technical bridge between hardware-level drivers and cloud-native platforms like Kubernetes and Red Hat OpenShift

• Develop integration patterns and "well lit paths" for AI workloads, ensuring they meet strict performance and resiliency requirements

• Work closely with Product Engineering, Partners, and Customers to root-cause complex issues across the entire stack (Hardware → Kernel → Hypervisor → Container)

• Create architectural blueprints and implementation guides for field engineers and lighthouse customers

• Explore and experiment with emerging AI technologies relevant to software development, proactively identifying opportunities to incorporate new AI capabilities into existing workflows and tooling

What You Will Bring

• 7+ years of experience in system integration, infrastructure engineering, or specialized DevOps

• Deep practical knowledge of server virtualization technology (ESX, Hyper-V, KVM)

• Strong understanding of Software Defined Networking (SDN) concepts

• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, Podman, or Docker, specifically regarding how containers consume host resources and hardware

• Advanced proficiency in Linux system administration, kernel modules, and hardware-software interfaces

• A passion for "how things work together" and the ability to troubleshoot across multiple engineering domains (Network, Storage, Compute)

• Ability to work closely with diverse teams and translate complex hardware requirements into software-defined solutions

• Excellent system understanding and troubleshooting capabilities

• Autonomous work ethic, thriving in a dynamic, fast-paced environment

• Proficient written and verbal communication skills in English

The Following is Considered a Plus

• Experience with cloud administration for public cloud services (AWS, GCE, Azure)

• Deep practical knowledge of KVM, QEMU, and libvirt

• Hands-on experience with advanced GPU and Networking configurations for multi-node AI workload orchestration and performance

• Background in DevOps or site reliability engineering (SRE)

• Experience with Operators and AI workload deployments (LLM , vLLM , inference, agents)

• Recent hands-on experience with distributed computation, either at the end-user or infrastructure provider level

• Experience with performance analysis tools

#LI-JS1

#AI-HIRING

Pay Transparency

Red Hat determines compensation based on several factors including but not limited to job location, experience, applicable skills and training, external market value, and internal pay equity. Annual salary is one component of Red Hat’s compensation package. This position may also be eligible for bonus, commission, and/or equity. For positions with Remote-US locations, the actual salary range for the position may differ based on location but will be commensurate with job duties and relevant work experience. 

About Red Hat

Red Hat is the world’s leading provider of enterprise open 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.

Benefits
●    Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
●    Flexible Spending Account - healthcare and dependent care
●    Health Savings Account - high deductible medical plan
●    Retirement 401(k) with employer match
●    Paid time off and holidays
●    Paid parental leave plans for all new parents
●    Leave benefits including disability, paid family medical leave, and paid military leave
●    Additional benefits including employee stock purchase plan, family planning reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, transportation expense account, employee assistance program, and more! 

Note: These benefits are only applicable to full time, permanent associates at Red Hat located in the United States. 

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.