Linux & KVM Performance Engineer (f/m/x)

Introduction

At IBM, innovation is at the heart of everything we do. As part of IBM's Linux on Z and LinuxONE organization, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of enterprise computing by advancing the Linux operating system on the s390x architecture. Our work supports some of the most secure, scalable, and high-performance platforms in the industry-designed for mission-critical workloads in finance, healthcare, and beyond. Our team operates at the intersection of research and development, working on bleeding-edge technologies that shape the future of Linux on IBM Z and LinuxONE. We specialize in performance engineering, diving deep into system internals to analyze behavior, uncover bottlenecks, and drive optimizations across the stack-from the Linux kernel to virtualization layers like QEMU/KVM. We collaborate closely with upstream communities and internal development teams to ensure that Linux not only runs on IBM Z-but runs exceptionally well. Whether it's tuning for throughput, latency, or efficiency, our work has a direct impact on how modern workloads perform on enterprise-grade infrastructure. If you're passionate about Linux internals, performance analysis, and contributing to open-source development on one of the most sophisticated hardware platforms in the world, we'd love to hear from you.

Your role and responsibilities

As a Performance Engineer in our Linux on IBM Z and LinuxONE team, you will play a key role in analyzing and optimizing the performance of complex Linux-based systems.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Conducting performance analysis and evaluation of Linux systems, with a focus on RHEL and Fedora, running on sophisticated system architectures.
• Identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks across multiple layers, including: The Linux kernel, networking, and storage I/O subsystems.
• The QEMU/KVM virtualization stack.
• Utilizing industry-standard low-level benchmarks (e.g., Fio, SPEC, iperf) and performance analysis tools such as sysstat and the z/VM Performance Toolkit.
• Tuning and optimizing configuration parameters across the Linux/KVM stack on IBM Z to improve efficiency and throughput.
• Collaborating closely with developers and stakeholders across the Linux/KVM on IBM Z ecosystem to drive performance improvements.
• Preparing and presenting findings, recommendations, and new ideas to the team in a clear and structured manner.

Required education

Bachelor's Degree

Preferred education

Master's Degree

Required technical and professional expertise

• A degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a comparable qualification.
• Proven experience in performance analysis of complex IT systems.
• Proficiency in scripting languages such as Bash, Python, and/or Ansible for automation and data evaluation.
• Solid programming skills in C/C++, Java, or Go.
• Strong analytical thinking and a structured approach to problem-solving.
• A collaborative mindset and enthusiasm for working across teams.
• Passion for improving systems and driving technical excellence.

Preferred technical and professional experience

In-depth knowledge of kernel architecture, networking, storage systems, scheduling mechanisms, and virtualization technologies. Experience working with enterprise-grade hardware platforms such as IBM Z, x86, or ARM is a strong advantage.

ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT

IBM Systems helps IT leaders think differently about their infrastructure. IBM servers and storage are no longer inanimate - they can understand, reason, and learn so our clients can innovate while avoiding IT issues. Our systems power the world's most important industries and our clients are the architects of the future. Join us to help build our leading-edge technology portfolio designed for cognitive business and optimized for cloud computing.

YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.

Being an IBMer means you'll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you'll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM's greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we're also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it's time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

For additional information about location requirements, please discuss with the recruiter following submission of your application.

Client-provided location(s): Böblingen, Germany

Job ID: IBM-60145

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2025-10-07T18:47:12