Principal Open Source Technologist

Position: Principal Open Source Technologist

Location: Austin, TX (Onsite)

Type of Hire: Contract (w2)

About the Opportunity

The Principal Open Source Technologist is a senior technical leadership role focused on open source strategy, community engagement, and technical excellence in open source projects. This role drives client s open source initiatives, represents the company in open source communities, and ensures our contributions align with business objectives while advancing the open source ecosystem.

In your daily job you will:

Open Source Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute client s open source strategy and roadmap
• Identify strategic open source projects and communities for engagement
• Drive technical vision for open source contributions and initiatives
• Represent the client in open source communities and working groups
• Influence open source project direction and technical decisions
• Build relationships with key open source maintainers and contributors

Technical Contributions

• Lead significant contributions to open source projects (Linux kernel, Yocto Project, etc.)
• Design and implement features that benefit both client and the open source community
• Review and approve open source contributions from client s engineers
• Ensure code quality and adherence to open source project standards
• Maintain upstream patches and ensure compatibility with upstream projects
• Drive upstream-first development practices

Community Engagement

• Actively participate in open source communities and mailing lists
• Present at open source conferences and events (Linux Plumbers, FOSDEM, etc.)
• Organize and lead open source community events and meetups
• Build and maintain relationships with open source community leaders
• Mentor engineers on open source contribution practices
• Foster a culture of open source contribution within the client

How You Will Contribute

Key skills and competencies for succeeding in this role are:

Open Source Project Areas

Linux Kernel

• Contribute to Linux kernel development and maintenance
• Address kernel features relevant to embedded systems
• Work on device drivers, subsystems, and core kernel functionality
• Ensure the client kernel patches are upstream-ready

Yocto Project

• Lead contributions to Yocto Project and OpenEmbedded
• Drive features and improvements for embedded Linux builds
• Participate in Yocto Project technical steering
• Mentor Yocto Project contributors

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• 12+ years of software engineering experience
• 8+ years of experience with embedded Linux or systems programming
• 5+ years of active open source contribution experience
• Proven track record of significant open source contributions
• Experience as a maintainer or core contributor to major open source projects

• Expert-level proficiency in C/C++ and systems programming
• Deep understanding of Linux kernel architecture and development
• Extensive experience with embedded systems and real-time systems
• Strong knowledge of open source development practices and tools
• Experience with Git and distributed version control
• Expertise in code review and open source contribution workflows
• Understanding of open source licensing and compliance
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis - without requirement for any type of visa sponsorship/transfer, now, or at any time in future. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.
• Must be a local resident of Greater Austin, TX, with ability to work on campus.

Leadership & Communication

• Exceptional technical communication skills
• Strong public speaking and presentation abilities

Preferred Qualifications

• Maintainer or core contributor status in major open source projects
• Extensive Yocto Project experience and leadership
• Significant Linux kernel contributions and recognition
• Experience in safety-critical industries (aerospace, automotive, medical)
• Knowledge of functional safety standards (ISO 26262, DO-178C, etc.)
• Open source project governance experience
• Industry recognition (awards, keynote speaking, etc.)
• Published technical papers or articles on open source topics
• Key Performance Indicators
• Open source contribution quality and impact
• Community engagement and relationship building
• Strategic open source project participation
• Upstream contribution acceptance rate
• Conference presentations and speaking engagements
• Mentoring and development of open source contributors
• Open source strategy execution
• Industry recognition and thought leadership