Principal Software Engineer (Linux Kernel)

Arm is best known for the smartphone CPU and GPU technology connecting billions of people all over the world. Now we are building new software teams to take us to the next level.

 

Technology built on Arm is all around us, from industrial and automotive applications, to the IoT, to the desktop and data centre. ‘Wherever Computing Happens’, we need to enable Arm by providing software solutions that interface higher-level software stacks with the hardware itself.

Job Overview

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will play a technical leadership role in shaping the future of the Linux Kernel on Arm architectures. You will drive strategy, architecture, and upstream engagement, ensuring Arm’s technology continues to be at the forefront of performance, efficiency, and security.

 

You will represent Arm at the highest levels in the Linux community, lead cross-functional initiatives, and act as a trusted technical authority and mentor across multiple engineering teams. This is a highly visible role, requiring deep expertise in low-level systems engineering, strong collaboration across global communities, and the ability to influence both internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Your day-to-day responsibilities include:

• Acting as a technical leader in the core arm64 Linux Kernel team, setting direction and priorities for upstream contributions and strategic initiatives.
• Owning the upstream strategy for large features in the Linux Kernel and related user space tools.
• Leading architecture investigations for new Arm features and driving their adoption in upstream Linux, ensuring broad ecosystem enablement.
• Providing expert-level code reviews and mentorship to maintainers and engineers, raising overall technical quality and reducing technical debt across subsystems.
• Collaborating with the wider open-source community, influencing kernel roadmaps, and building consensus on performance, security, and virtualisation features.
• Driving innovation in Arm kernel performance, security, and scalability on next-generation Arm hardware platforms.
• Representing Arm in industry forums, open-source summits, and standards bodies to strengthen Arm’s position and ecosystem leadership.

Required Skills and Experience

• Extensive experience in low-level systems and kernel development with a proven record of upstream contributions.
• Expert-level proficiency in C programming and deep understanding of operating system fundamentals.
• Strong track record of technical leadership in open-source communities, including mentoring and developing junior engineers.
• Credible experience in Linux memory management, virtualisation, and performance optimization.
• Deep understanding of Armv8-A/Armv9 architecture and arm64 assembly language.
• Demonstrated ability to influence technical strategy and contribute to long-term roadmaps.

“Nice To Have” Skills and Experience

• Established in the Linux community (e.g., subsystem maintainer, long-term contributor, or leadership role in open-source projects).
• Deep experience in CPU Architecture
• Experience representing organisations in standards bodies or industry working groups.
• Proven ability to balance short-term delivery with long-term architectural goals.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, able to translate technical vision into business value.

In Return

Our Cambridge offices are amazing places to collaborate. We are keen to welcome versatile leaders into Arm, so if you bring depth in Linux Kernel and are excited by the prospect of shaping the future of computing on Arm, we’d love to hear from you.

 

#LI-CM1

 

 

Accommodations at Arm

At Arm, we want to build extraordinary teams. If you need an adjustment or an accommodation during the recruitment process, please email accommodations@arm.com. To note, by sending us the requested information, you consent to its use by Arm to arrange for appropriate accommodations. All accommodation or adjustment requests will be treated with confidentiality, and information concerning these requests will only be disclosed as necessary to provide the accommodation. Although this is not an exhaustive list, examples of support include breaks between interviews, having documents read aloud, or office accessibility. Please email us about anything we can do to accommodate you during the recruitment process.

Hybrid Working at Arm

Arm’s approach to hybrid working is designed to create a working environment that supports both high performance and personal wellbeing. We believe in bringing people together face to face to enable us to work at pace, whilst recognizing the value of flexibility. Within that framework, we empower groups/teams to determine their own hybrid working patterns, depending on the work and the team’s needs. Details of what this means for each role will be shared upon application. In some cases, the flexibility we can offer is limited by local legal, regulatory, tax, or other considerations, and where this is the case, we will collaborate with you to find the best solution. Please talk to us to find out more about what this could look like for you.

Equal Opportunities at Arm

Arm is an equal opportunity employer, committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal opportunities are available to all applicants and colleagues. We are a diverse organization of dedicated and innovative individuals, and don’t discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.