System Software Architect - Linux Kernel and Operating System

About the Team We are a systems software team building the foundational software for large-scale GPU computing cluster. We work at the hardware/software boundary across the Linux kernel, accelerators, storage, firmware, and platform validation. We value rigorous engineering, clear interfaces, measurable performance and reliability, and upstream collaboration where appropriate. The team partners closely with hardware, architecture, product, validation, and production engineering groups to move new capabilities from design through dependable deployment. About the Role You will provide hands-on technical leadership for the Linux kernel and operating-system foundation of our GPU computing platforms. You will define architecture, establish engineering priorities, align cross-functional dependencies, guide major capabilities from early hardware planning through production maturity, and make Linux Operating System releases and roadmap for Bytedance. This is an individual-contributor leadership role: you will lead through technical judgment, design quality, delivery discipline, and mentoring rather than through line-management authority. Responsibilities - Set the technical direction for Linux kernel architecture, platform enablement, reliability, performance, security, and maintainability across multiple releases. - Translate product and hardware roadmaps into a sequenced Linux kernel and Linux OS release plan with explicit interfaces, dependencies, risks, validation gates, and ownership. - Lead architecture and design reviews for major kernel changes; resolve cross-subsystem tradeoffs, cross business unit requirement tradeoffs, and establish standards that reduce long-term operational cost. - Remain hands-on in critical paths by prototyping designs, reviewing complex code, diagnosing high-severity failures, and contributing targeted implementation where it has the highest leverage. - Coordinate delivery across silicon, firmware, security, storage, networking, validation, release, and production teams from concept through deployment. - Define an upstream strategy for platform support, represent technical positions in relevant communities, and reduce unnecessary divergence from maintained interfaces. - Establish quality and operational-readiness expectations, including automated testing, observability, rollback, regression control, and measurable reliability objectives. - Mentor senior and developing engineers, improve design and debugging practices, and create clear technical decision records. Minimum Qualifications - Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience. - 5+ years of hands-on Linux kernel or operating-system engineering experience, with demonstrated technical leadership and depth in multiple kernel subsystems or platform-enablement domains. - Demonstrated success setting technical direction for a major systems-software program and delivering it through multiple teams or product generations. - Expert-level C and strong systems-debugging skills across kernel, firmware, hardware, and user-space boundaries. - Experience making architecture tradeoffs involving performance, reliability, security, compatibility, and maintenance cost. - Evidence of mentoring engineers and influencing stakeholders without relying on reporting-line authority. Preferred Qualifications - Credible upstream Linux participation, including subsystem contributions, maintainership, review leadership, or sustained collaboration with maintainers. - Experience enabling new server silicon or data-center platforms from pre-silicon planning through fleet deployment. - Experience defining multi-year technical plans and adapting them as hardware, product, or operational constraints change. - Track record improving engineering systems such as validation coverage, release quality, incident response, or kernel-update velocity.