Principal Software Engineer

Make a difference in the technology that powers some of the most innovative and influential businesses in the world. Red Hat's Multi-product and Engineering Experience (MPEX) Integrity Engineering team is looking for a highly skilled Principal Software Engineer focused on Interoperability Engineering to join us in the U.S.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to work for the world’s leading provider of open-source technology. You’ll help build the frameworks, automation, and infrastructure that ensure Red Hat’s hybrid platform products work seamlessly together—delivering freedom, flexibility, and outstanding performance from day one.

You’ll serve as a technical architect and developer, collaborating closely with the Hybrid Platforms engineering teams using agile methodologies. Collaboration is key at Red Hat—you’ll contribute to the future of our technology alongside developers across the open-source community, with opportunities to lead, learn, and grow both professionally and personally.

• Architect and develop frameworks, pipelines, and services that enable scalable interoperability and upgrade testing across Red Hat products.

• Design and implement integrations between OpenShift CI and other validation tools to improve visibility, automation, and reporting.

• Drive a shift-left approach to interoperability testing by enabling earlier detection of integration issues, improving developer feedback loops, and embedding Interop checks into CI workflows.

• Collaborate with product teams (ACM, CNV, ODF, etc.) to co-develop test automation that reflects real customer topologies and hybrid scenarios.

• Partner with UX and Product Management teams to provide actionable feedback on the integrated portfolio experience, helping shape more cohesive hybrid-product workflows.

• Enhance CI/CD efficiency by optimizing workflows, improving cluster lifecycle management, and automating environment provisioning.

• Develop and maintain APIs and data pipelines to track test execution, component health, and quality metrics.

• Mentor and guide engineers in development best practices and scalable system design.

• Drive innovation by leveraging AI-assisted coding tools (e.g., Claude Code, Gemini, Cursor) to improve productivity and maintainability.

• Participate in design and code reviews, ensuring architectural consistency, scalability, and reliability of the Interop testing platform.

• 7+ years of software development experience, preferably in infrastructure, automation, or distributed systems.

• Strong proficiency in Python or Go, including experience building APIs, automation frameworks, or backend services.

• Strong proficiency in Bash shell scripting, including best practices.

• Deep understanding of Linux, Kubernetes/OpenShift, and containerization.

• Familiarity with virtualization technologies (KVM, VMware, CNV, Libvirt) and networking fundamentals.

• Proven experience integrating with CI/CD systems (Prow, Jenkins, GitHub Actions) and automating build/test pipelines.

• Experience working in large, cross-functional engineering organizations.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to lead technical discussions and mentor peers.
   

• Experience with Ansible or IaC tooling (Terraform, Helm).

• Knowledge of open-source development practices and community collaboration.

• Familiarity with observability and metrics frameworks (Grafana, Prometheus).

• Background in test automation or quality-driven development.

• Certifications such as RHCE or similar.

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Pay Transparency

Red Hat determines compensation based on several factors including but not limited to job location, experience, applicable skills and training, external market value, and internal pay equity. Annual salary is one component of Red Hat’s compensation package. This position may also be eligible for bonus, commission, and/or equity. For positions with Remote-US locations, the actual salary range for the position may differ based on location but will be commensurate with job duties and relevant work experience. 

About Red Hat

Red Hat is the world’s leading provider of enterprise open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to deliver high-performing Linux, cloud, container, and Kubernetes technologies. Spread across 40+ countries, our associates work flexibly across work environments, from in-office, to office-flex, to fully remote, depending on the requirements of their role. Red Hatters are encouraged to bring their best ideas, no matter their title or tenure. We're a leader in open source because of our open and inclusive environment. We hire creative, passionate people ready to contribute their ideas, help solve complex problems, and make an impact.

Benefits
●    Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
●    Flexible Spending Account - healthcare and dependent care
●    Health Savings Account - high deductible medical plan
●    Retirement 401(k) with employer match
●    Paid time off and holidays
●    Paid parental leave plans for all new parents
●    Leave benefits including disability, paid family medical leave, and paid military leave
●    Additional benefits including employee stock purchase plan, family planning reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, transportation expense account, employee assistance program, and more! 

Note: These benefits are only applicable to full time, permanent associates at Red Hat located in the United States. 

Inclusion at Red Hat
Red Hat’s culture is built on the open source principles of transparency, collaboration, and inclusion, where the best ideas can come from anywhere and anyone. When this is realized, it empowers people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to come together to share ideas, challenge the status quo, and drive innovation. Our aspiration is that everyone experiences this culture with equal opportunity and access, and that all voices are not only heard but also celebrated. We hope you will join our celebration, and we welcome and encourage applicants from all the beautiful dimensions that compose our global village.

Equal Opportunity Policy (EEO)
Red Hat is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer. We review applications for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, veteran status, genetic information, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, or any other basis prohibited by law.