About This Role

Build open source graphics drivers that run on real hardware. You will work directly in the Vulkan driver stack, contributing upstream to Mesa and the Linux DRM subsystem, and solving problems that affect how GPUs are used across the Linux ecosystem.

This isn't just maintenance work. You will be debugging real hardware behaviour, reading GPU specs and kernel internals and writing code that ends up in distributions used by millions of people. The work is technically deep and the feedback loop is direct.

The role combines low-level systems programming with open source collaboration. You will work alongside experienced graphics engineers, develop genuine expertise in how modern GPUs work from the kernel up, and grow into a contributor that the broader open source graphics community knows by name.

Location: Fully remote

Travel: Optional conference attendance

What You'll Actually Do

Upstream First: Contribute directly to Mesa and the Linux DRM subsystem, writing Vulkan driver code that lands in mainline and ships to users worldwide

Real-World Impact: Work on graphics drivers for hardware used across Linux desktops, embedded devices and consumer products that people depend on every day

Solve Hard Problems: Debug GPU behaviour that has no documentation, reverse engineer hardware quirks and fix rendering issues that manifest as a corrupted frame with no obvious cause. The GPU did something unexpected and it is your job to find out why

Community Collaboration: Work with Mesa and kernel maintainers, participate in code review across the open source graphics community and represent Collabora at conferences like XDC and FOSDEM

Client Partnership: Translate hardware vendor and client requirements into upstream-compatible solutions while advocating for approaches that benefit the broader ecosystem. Help clients understand why investing in open source driver quality serves their long-term goals

Navigate Constraints: Balance upstream correctness with real-world pressures: hardware bring-up timelines, vendor NDAs, performance targets and client deadlines, while keeping code quality high enough to pass maintainer review

Be a Technical Advisor: Explain complex driver and GPU architecture decisions to product teams, provide honest assessments of what is and isn't possible and build trust through transparent communication

What we’re looking for

Required

Vulkan - solid understanding of the core spec; command buffers, render passes, synchronisation, memory management and pipelines. Familiarity with Vulkan validation layers and debugging workflow

Basic understanding of GPU hardware concepts - queues, tilers vs IMR, memory hierarchies

Linux kernel basics - comfortable reading and navigating kernel code

DRM fundamentals - GEM/buffer management, dma-buf/prime buffer sharing, fence and sync objects, GPU job submission paths

Mesa architecture awareness - Gallium, driver structure

Basic understanding of how userspace drivers interact with kernel

C and C++ - comfortable with pointer arithmetic, memory management, kernel-style coding

Nice to have

Git - mailing list patch workflow (not just GitHub PRs)

Comfortable reading specs and documentation independently

Not afraid of large unfamiliar codebases

Open source contribution mindset - code review, public communication, upstream first

Existing Mesa or kernel patch history

Experience with a specific GPU family (ARM/AMD/Intel)

Python for tooling/scripting

Rust programming skills

Understanding of KMS fundamentals or Wayland clients

What We Offer

Compensation & Benefits

We offer a competitive benefits package tailored to each country in which we have employees, plus a core global benefit offering accessible to all Collaborans. Our core benefits include:

Competitive salary based on experience and location

Office setup budget

Sabbatical/Retention of Services - after five years continuous service

Co-working policy - support for working outside home

Wellness assessments - biannual wellbeing assessments with a trained mental health specialist

Conference attendance - we cover expenses and encourage speaking opportunities

Open source time - contribute to projects you care about

Work Environment

Fully remote - work where you’re most productive

Global team - engineers across Europe, Americas and Asia

No on-call rotations - this isn't support work

Sustainable pace - we're here for the long term

Flexible hours - manage your own schedule

Growth & Impact

Upstream contributions - your work shapes Linux, not just client products

Technical leadership track - path to principal engineer, subsystem expertise or technical architecture roles

Consulting track - develop deeper client relationships, lead customer engagements or shape service offerings

Mentorship opportunities - both receiving and providing guidance

Conference speaking - we support presentation submissions and provide coaching

Recognition - your contributions are public, building your professional reputation

Culture & Values

Upstream first - we believe the best solutions benefit everyone

Transparency - open discussion about technical decisions, business constraints and project challenges

Pragmatism - perfect is the enemy of good; we ship quality code that solves real problems

Respect for expertise - we trust engineers to make technical decisions

Collaborative - we succeed by working together, internally and with the community

Sustainable pace - we're here for the marathon, not the sprint

A Day in the Life

Morning (your timezone):

Review overnight Mesa GitLab discussion on your patch series

Triage a rendering corruption report from a client - identify whether it is a driver bug or a spec interpretation issue

Respond to maintainer feedback on a Vulkan extension implementation

Pair debug session with a colleague on unexpected GPU hang behaviour

Midday:

Deep work: implement a missing feature in the Vulkan driver, cross-referencing the spec and hardware documentation

Quick video call with client team to walk through your proposed fix and explain the trade-offs

Review a colleague's DRM buffer management patch before they send it upstream

Help a colleague debug an issue to identify whether it is GPU related

Afternoon:

Reproduce a client issue locally using RenderDoc and Vulkan validation layers - narrow it down to a specific draw call

Update client on timeline, discuss whether a quick workaround or a proper upstream fix is the right move for their schedule

Join optional team discussion on how to handle a tricky synchronisation edge case

Write a clear commit message explaining not just what changed but why the hardware requires it

Some days are heads-down driver work with hours spent in a debugger. Others involve more client communication and architectural discussion. You will find a balance that suits the project and your strengths.

Our Interview Process

We respect your time and provide a clear, structured process:

Application Review (within 1 week) - we look at your code and contributions
Initial Chat (30 min) - casual conversation about your experience and our work
Technical Interview (2 - 3h)
1. Technical Deep-Dive - discuss kernel architecture, past debugging challenges and how you approach problem-solving (no whiteboard coding)
2. Code Review Session - review real patches together, discuss trade-offs
3. Client Scenario Discussion - talk through a realistic customer situation: balancing technical debt, timeline pressure and upstream goals (we want to see your thought process, not a "right answer")
Head of Open Source Software Consulting team Discussion (60 min) - meet the Head of Open Source Software Consulting team, ask about day-to-day work and how Collabora works, discuss compensation and benefits.
Offer (within 1 week of final interview)

Total timeline: 3-4 weeks from application to offer

We provide feedback at every stage, and you'll always know where you stand.

What Happens Next

Initial response within 1 week

Even if we don't move forward, we'll tell you why

Collabora's Commitment

We're committed to building a diverse team and inclusive environment. We encourage applications from people underrepresented in tech.

We evaluate candidates based on skills and contributions, not pedigree. If you're unsure whether you qualify, apply anyway —imposter syndrome is real and you might be exactly who we're looking for.

We recognise that the combination of deep kernel expertise and consulting skills is rare. If you're strong in one area and interested in developing the other, we want to hear from you.

GPU Consultant Engineer (Remote/Anywhere)