Principal Software Engineer – RHEL Image Mode

Red Hat

Principal Software Engineer leading RHEL bootable container OS architecture and development at Red Hat. Coordinating Linux, Rust, container, testing, open-source, and AI-driven engineering initiatives across teams.

Posted 8/4/2026full-timeBangalore • 🇮🇳 IndiaLeadWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in low-level Linux operating system concepts and software architecture design, with a strong focus on container technologies and automated testing practices. Proven ability to lead technical initiatives and mentor engineers while advocating for customer needs within open-source communities.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Low-Level Linux Operating System ConceptsRust ProgrammingContainer Technologies (Podman/Docker)Software Architecture DesignAutomated Testing and Quality Assurance

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Linux Operating System ConceptsRust ProgrammingContainer TechnologiesVersion ControlContinuous Integration/DeliveryArchitectural DesignAutomated TestingAI-Driven MethodologiesDesign Document AuthoringTechnical Proposal Writing

Soft Skills

Written CommunicationVerbal CommunicationCoachingMentoringStakeholder Alignment

Tools & Technologies

PodmanDockerAgentic AI ToolsOstreeRpm-Ostree

Industry Keywords

Open-Source Community ContributionCNCFMulti-Component SystemsBootloadersSystemdKernel-Space/User-Space BoundariesRoot FilesystemsImage-Based Provisioning

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

DockerLinuxRust

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead the design and development of RHEL Image Mode software solutions and features spanning multiple subsystems and components
Ensure seamless integration between container runtimes and low-level boot mechanisms
Design and implement multi-component systems across teams and make critical architectural decisions
Establish, maintain, and monitor automated testing and quality assurance practices
Represent and lead within the upstream bootc-dev CNCF and other communities
Advocate for customer needs while aligning open-source community goals with product strategy
Coach and mentor engineers across multiple teams
Own and deliver high-visibility technical initiatives with clear business impact
Define and implement the software development lifecycle for complex multi-component systems
Evaluate and introduce AI-driven methodologies and workflows to improve engineering efficiency

Requirements

What you’ll need

Deep understanding of low-level Linux operating system concepts, including bootloaders, storage/partitioning, systemd, kernel-space/user-space boundaries, and root filesystems
Proven experience writing, debugging, and reviewing complex software in Rust
Experience leading software architecture design across multiple subsystems or organizational teams
Strong knowledge of container technologies and standards, including OCI specifications, container images, and Podman/Docker runtimes
Expert-level mastery of version control and continuous integration/delivery architectures
Experience operating across diverse hardware architectures
Superb written and verbal communication skills in English
Ability to author definitive design documents and technical proposals and align stakeholders across business units
Experience with Agentic AI tools and autonomous workflows is a plus
Experience presenting complex architectural topics at major industry conferences is a plus
Significant open-source community contribution and distributed-team experience is a plus
Experience contributing to Linux distributions is a plus
Understanding of ostree, rpm-ostree, or image-based provisioning systems is a plus

Benefits

Comp & perks

Flexible work environments depending on role requirements
Reasonable accommodations for job applicants
Open and inclusive work environment