AMD Is Currently Hiring More Linux Engineers

It looks like thanks to AMD's increasing sales and continuing successes in the enterprise space with more HPC wins and the like, AMD is hiring more Linux engineers. AMD currently has several interesting job openings on the Linux front.

While AMD has been delivering reliable Linux support with their recent launches, there is room for improvement in areas like more timely compiler support for new processors, better alignment of their new hardware enablement for getting the code not only upstreamed but into distributions for launch-day, and similar areas. Based on recent job postings, it looks like AMD is working to make such strides.

Here is a look at some of the new and currently active Linux-related job openings at AMD:

Manager Linux Kernel Development - AMD is looking for a manager to see over all their Linux kernel and virtualization development team. The manager will oversee the engineers working on designing/implementing/testing the Linux features for AMD CPUs. I am not aware of any "Linux manager" currently at AMD so hopefully that increased coordination can lead to more punctual hardware enablement and striking a rhythm like Intel is known for with their Linux hardware support.

Linux Technical Lead - This admittedly sounds like a very fun one and even piqued my personal interest. (Heck partially seems along the lines of what I often end up doing externally for the community with relentlessly trawling of Git repositories and development mailing lists in pointing out new AMD support code and commentary and pointing out base support requirements at launch and versions/patches for more optimized support. Plus benchmarking.) The client engineering Linux lead workload will include coordinating with OEM partners and the tier one Linux distributions around new features and components. This also includes working with those Linux distribution vendors and partners on optimized platform feature support and similar scenarios. Basically, seeing that their partners and distributions stay up-to-date on the AMD Linux support. Hopefully such a lead at AMD will indeed help ensure necessary patches or version requirements are in place for seeing good launch-day Linux support with the major distributions.

AMD is also hiring for Linux engineering and Linux systems architect, among other traditional software/hardware engineering roles.

Several of these new job descriptions do begin with, "step up into a new organization built to engage more strategically and deeply with the technical teams of our commercial customers." Interestingly, I only see that opening line on their current Linux job postings. When asking AMD if there is a "new (Linux) organization" at AMD, the comment was there is no organization to announce but this is part of the overall expansion at AMD. So for now it's back to dreaming about a new unit akin to the defunct AMD Operating System Research Center that previously drove their Linux support or Intel's former Open-Source Technology Center.

In any case, great seeing AMD ramping up their Linux talent. See this Linux jobs search for more of the open positions at AMD, which does include some 2021 internships as well.

Related to our interests, there are also a number of firmware engineer job openings mentioning Coreboot, including some noting "this role enables Coreboot technology on AMD products" -- which may just be for Chromebooks or could be for future server support (some of the posts do mention Chromebooks but not all).

What areas would you like to see AMD improve with regard to their Linux support? Share your thoughts by commenting on this article in the forums.