Software Engineer - Linux, KVM & OpenShift Virtualization (w/m/x)

Join us in shaping the future of Linux, virtualization, and cloud technologies on IBM Z and LinuxONE. Our team develops and optimizes technologies that support some of the world’s most demanding enterprise workloads, where performance, scalability, reliability, and efficiency are essential. We work across the software stack, from the Linux operating system and QEMU/KVM to OpenShift Virtualization and its cloud-native ecosystem. Our work combines software development, system engineering, performance analysis, and automation. Depending on the technical challenge, this may involve developing new capabilities, analyzing complex system behavior, identifying bottlenecks, or improving how virtualized and cloud-native workloads run at scale. You will collaborate with experienced engineers across IBM, Red Hat, and open-source communities, contributing ideas and technical improvements to products and upstream projects. If you are curious about how complex systems work and would like to develop your skills in Linux, open-source software, virtualization, cloud technologies, or performance engineering, this role gives you the opportunity to learn, contribute, and make a visible technical impact. As an Engineer in our Linux on IBM Z and LinuxONE team, you will help develop, improve, and optimize Linux, virtualization, and cloud technologies for enterprise systems. Depending on your interests, skills, and the team’s priorities, your work may focus on software development, performance engineering, system analysis, or a combination of these areas. Your responsibilities may include: Developing software components, tools, and automation for Linux, QEMU/KVM, OpenShift Virtualization, and related open-source technologies. Analyzing complex system behavior and driving improvements in functionality, performance, scalability, reliability, and efficiency. Investigating and resolving technical challenges across the Linux, virtualization, storage, networking, and cloud software stack. Designing and conducting functional, performance, and scalability evaluations using representative workloads and analysis tools. Debugging complex issues, performing root-cause analysis, and implementing sustainable solutions. Contributing code and technical improvements to IBM products and relevant open-source projects. Collaborating with engineers across IBM, Red Hat, and open-source communities. Clearly documenting and presenting technical findings, recommendations, and proposed solutions. Degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, or a related technical discipline Strong programming skills in one or more languages such as C, C++, Go, Java, or Python, demonstrated through professional work, research, open-source contributions, or significant technical projects Sound understanding of Linux, operating systems, computer architecture, software development, and virtualization concepts Experience in at least one of the following areas: system-level software development, performance engineering, virtualization, cloud-native technologies, automation, or large-scale systems analysis Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, effective communication and collaboration abilities, combined with a passion for Linux, open-source software, virtualization, and enterprise computing C1 proficiency in both English and German is required Knowledge of Linux internals and system-level concepts, including kernel architecture, memory management, scheduling, networking, and storage Experience developing high-quality software in C, C++, Go, Python, or similar languages within Linux, virtualization, or cloud-native environments Familiarity with virtualization and cloud-native technologies, particularly OpenShift Virtualization, Kubernetes, KubeVirt, QEMU/KVM, and related ecosystem technologies used to run and manage enterprise workloads at scale Demonstrated ability to leverage AI technologies, including LLMs and AI-assisted engineering tools, to improve software quality, accelerate innovation, automate workflows, and increase engineering productivity Experience gained through professional work, internships, research, or open-source contributions, with exposure to performance engineering, automation, benchmarking, scalability analysis, and modern software development practices Germany Infrastructure & Technology Hybrid Entry Level Ehningen, DE Ehningen (0161) IBM Deutschland Research & Development GmbH Analytical Skills Red Hat Ansible Architecture Artificial Intelligence Automation Bourne-again Shell Benchmarking Business Networking C++ Computer Architecture Computer Science Continuous Integration Debugging Electrical Engineering Engineering English German Git Information Technology Investigation Java Linux Operating Systems Performance Analysis Performance Engineering Computer Programming Python Scheduling Scripting Software Software Development Sound Storage Systems Analysis Test Automation Testing Virtualization Kubernetes Automated Testing IBM Z Systems Large Language Model OpenShift Efficiency Professionalism Libvirt Verbal Communication Memory Management Tooling Distributed Development