Ubuntu is the most widely used Linux distribution in the world, delivering kernels across a vast matrix of versions, architectures, and configurations – with up to 15 years of security and maintenance commitments for Long Term Support (LTS) releases. Ensuring the quality and reliability of these kernels demands a dedicated, systematic approach to testing at scale.

The Canonical Kernel Team is looking for a Test Engineer to take ownership of our kernel testing strategy and infrastructure. You will design and maintain test plans covering functional correctness, stability, performance, and security. You will build and evolve automated test frameworks – including stress testing, fuzzing, code coverage analysis, and regression detection – that not only must remain effective across many concurrently supported kernel versions spanning years of maintenance, but must be able to scale with the high demand for Ubuntu kernels (currently more than 160 under active support).

The successful candidate will bring strong Python skills, familiarity with Linux kernel internals, and experience building test infrastructure that scales. You will work closely with kernel engineers to catch regressions early, validate fixes, and ensure every kernel we ship meets the highest standards of reliability.

Location: This role will be based remotely in the APAC region, except for Taipei, Taiwan, and Beijing, China, which are office-based locations.

What your day will look like

Design, develop, and maintain comprehensive test plans covering functional correctness, stability, performance, and security for Ubuntu Linux kernels
Build and improve automated test infrastructure for continuous kernel quality validation across multiple kernel versions and architectures
Maintain long-lived test suites that evolve alongside Ubuntu’s many concurrently supported kernel versions spanning years of maintenance
Develop and maintain CI/CD pipelines for continuous kernel quality validation
Conduct performance benchmarking and regression detection across kernel releases
Measure and improve kernel code coverage, identifying gaps in test coverage and creating tests to address them
Execute and analyze stress tests covering CPU scheduling, memory management, I/O subsystems, networking, and filesystem workloads
Develop and maintain fuzzing harnesses to discover kernel vulnerabilities and reliability issues using tools such as syzkaller, Trinity, or custom fuzzers
Collaborate regularly and proactively with a globally distributed team
Contribute to upstream test suites and testing frameworks
Document test methodologies, results, and coverage gaps

What we are looking for in you

Significant programming experience in Python
Experience with test frameworks such as LTP, kselftest, xfstests, stress-ng, fio, or similar
Experience designing and executing system-level tests: functional, stress, performance, or regression testing
Familiarity with CI/CD systems (Jenkins, GitHub CI, or similar)
Experience maintaining test suites over long periods, adapting to evolving software across multiple supported versions
Familiarity with Linux (Ubuntu or Debian preferred but not required), Linux kernel internals and subsystems
Experience with Linux systems administration and automation
Solid background with git
Well-organized, self-starting and able to deliver to fixed schedules
Professional written and spoken English with excellent communication skills
Ability to travel twice a year, for company events up to two weeks each

Additional skills that you might also bring

Familiarity with kernel fuzzing tools and techniques (e.g. syzkaller, Trinity, AFL, or custom harnesses)
Experience with code coverage instrumentation (e.g. gcov, kcov, LLVM source-based coverage)
Knowledge of kernel tracing and observability tools (e.g. ftrace, perf, bpftrace, eBPF)
Familiarity with static analysis tools (e.g. sparse, smatch, Coccinelle) as part of a testing workflow
Experience with fault injection frameworks (e.g. failslab, fail_make_request) for reliability testing
Prior experience with test infrastructure at scale (provisioning, orchestration, result aggregation)
Experience with Ubuntu/Debian packaging or Snap
Knowledge of virtualization technologies (KVM, QEMU) and container runtimes
Cloud infrastructure experience (AWS, GCP, Azure, or OpenStack)
Prior involvement with open source testing communities or projects

What we offer you

Your base pay will depend on various factors including your geographical location, level of experience, knowledge and skills. In addition to the benefits above, certain roles are also eligible for additional benefits and rewa

Ubuntu Linux Kernel Test Engineer at Canonical Ltd.