Senior Principal Linux Systems & RPM Development Engineer (Santa Clara)

We are seeking a highly skilled Linux Systems Engineer with deep expertise across the Linux operating system stack. The ideal candidate is a Linux generalist with strong familiarity with Linux userspace, boot processes, system initialization (systemd), and the way these components interact. This individual should be comfortable generating Linux images, troubleshooting issues across the stack, and handling problems in any area of the operating system.The role also requires hands-on experience with RPM package development and maintenance, including creating new RPMs, applying patches to existing packages, and fixing bugs. In addition, this role will own testing Linux images in cloud environments and validating image behavior across platforms.Only Oracle brings together the data, infrastructure, applications, and expertise to power everything from industry innovations to life-saving care. And with AI embedded across our products and services, we help customers turn that promise into a better future for all. Discover your potential at a company leading the way in AI and cloud solutions that impact billions of lives.True innovation starts when everyone is empowered to contribute. That’s why we’re committed to growing a workforce that promotes opportunities for all with competitive benefits that support our people with flexible medical, life insurance, and retirement options. We also encourage employees to give back to their communities through our volunteer programs.We’re committed to including people with disabilities at all stages of the employment process. If you require accessibility assistance or accommodation for a disability at any point, let us know by emailing View email address on apply.placed-app.com or by calling View phone number on apply.placed-app.com in the United States.Oracle is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans’ status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Oracle will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records pursuant to applicable law.Disclaimer:Certain U.S. based or U.S. customer or client-facing roles may be required to comply with applicable requirements, such as immunization/occupational health mandates, and/or drug testing requirements.Range and benefit information provided in this posting are specific to the stated locations onlyUS: Hiring Range in USD from: $135,200 to $306,400 per annum. May be eligible for bonus, equity, and compensation deferral.Oracle maintains broad salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience, market conditions and locations, as well as reflect Oracle's differing products, industries and lines of business.Candidates are typically placed into the range based on the preceding factors as well as internal peer equity.Oracle US offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes the following:1. Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including expert medical opinion2. Short term disability and long term disability3. Life insurance and AD&D4. Supplemental life insurance (Employee/Spouse/Child)5. Health care and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts6. Pre-tax commuter and parking benefits7. 401(k) Savings and Investment Plan with company match8. Paid time off: Flexible Vacation is provided to all eligible employees assigned to a salaried (non-overtime eligible) position. Accrued Vacation is provided to all other employees eligible for vacation benefits. For employees working at least 35 hours per week, the vacation accrual rate is 13 days annually for the first three years of employment and 18 days annually for subsequent years of employment. Vacation accrual is prorated for employees working between 20 and 34 hours per week. Employees working fewer than 20 hours per week are not eligible for vacation.9. 11 paid holidays10. Paid sick leave: 72 hours of paid sick leave upon date of hire. Refreshes each calendar year. Unused balance will carry over each year up to a maximum cap of 112 hours.11. Paid parental leave12. Adoption assistance13. Employee Stock Purchase Plan14. Financial planning and group legal15. Voluntary benefits including auto, homeowner and pet insuranceThe role will generally accept applications for at least three calendar days from the posting date or as long as the job remains posted.Career Level - IC5• Design, build, customize, and maintain Linux operating system images.• Own testing and validation of Linux images in cloud environments.• Troubleshoot and resolve issues across the Linux stack, including bootloader, kernel interactions, systemd services, userspace components, networking, storage, and security subsystems.• Analyze and debug complex system-level problems in development, test, and production environments.• Develop, maintain, and enhance RPM packages.• Apply, backport, and maintain patches for existing RPMs and open-source software components.• Investigate and fix bugs within Linux packages and platform components.• Automate Linux build, deployment, validation, and maintenance workflows.• Collaborate with engineering teams to improve platform reliability, performance, and maintainability.• Participate in root-cause analysis and drive long-term corrective actions for operating system and platform issues.Required Qualifications• Strong experience with Linux operating systems and distributions such as Oracle Linux, CentOS, RHEL, Rocky Linux, Ubuntu, or similar.• Deep understanding of Linux userspace architecture, boot sequence, system initialization and systemd.• Proven experience creating, customizing, and maintaining Linux images.• Experience testing Linux images in cloud environments.• Expertise in Linux troubleshooting across multiple subsystems, including process management, networking, storage, logging, and system services.• Strong hands-on experience with RPM packaging, including:o Creating new RPMso Maintaining and updating existing RPMso Applying and managing patcheso Dependency managemento Build and release processeso Bug fixing and package lifecycle management• Strong Python programming, proficiency with shell scripting and Linux development tools, excellent problem-solving and debugging skillsPreferred Qualifications• Experience operating Linux platforms in public cloud environments, including:o Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)o Amazon Web Services (AWS)o Microsoft Azureo Google Cloud Platform (GCP)• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automation, and configuration management tools.• Experience contributing to open-source Linux projects or enterprise Linux distributions.• Knowledge of userspace and cloud-init troubleshooting and performance tuning is a plus.Ideal CandidateThe ideal candidate is a versatile Linux expert who can work across the entire operating system lifecycle—from image creation and cloud validation to boot-time troubleshooting, package development, maintenance, and production support. They thrive in complex environments, can quickly diagnose issues regardless of where they occur in the Linux stack, and are capable of owning problems end-to-end.Full timePosting Date: 2026-07-24