Join to apply for the Ubuntu Engineering Lead role at Canonical
Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation and IoT. Our customers include the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with 1200+ colleagues in 75+ countries and very few office based roles. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution.
About Canonical
Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open source projects and the platform for AI, IoT and the cloud, we are changing the world on a daily basis. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence — in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do. Canonical has been a remote-first company since its inception in 2004. Working here is a step into the future, and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.
Roles & Responsibilities
Lead and coach teams in elevating the Linux developer and user experience.
Design, build and ship high quality, performant software in Rust, Go and Python.
Demonstrate sound engineering principles through architecture, development and code reviews.
Take responsibility for planning, estimation and execution.
Work with product management to define the vision and strategy for Ubuntu.
Set expectations with other engineering teams, senior management, and external stakeholders.
Offer coaching, mentoring, technical feedback and hands‑on career development.
Contribute to upstream and neighboring open source projects.
Optimize the distribution for performance, reliability, and security.
Debug complex system‑level issues and deliver robust solutions.
Author and improve technical and community documentation.
Qualifications
Exceptional academic track record from both high school and university.
Undergraduate degree in Computer Science or STEM, or a compelling narrative about your alternative path.
Ability to drive and deliver technical work streams going above and beyond expectations.
Lead and coach others to deliver exceptional engineering work.
A demonstrated passion for open source software.
Significant experience with Rust, Go, Python, Flutter or C/C++.
Professional written and spoken English.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Result‑oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitments.
Ability to travel twice a year, for company events up to two weeks each.
Nice‑to‑have skills
Experience contributing to or leading open source projects.
Experience with Linux distributions/distribution engineering.
Experience with software packaging and distribution mechanisms.
Performance or Security Engineering experience.
What we offer
Distributed work environment with twice‑yearly team sprints in person.
Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year.
Annual compensation review.
Recognition rewards.
Annual holiday leave.
Maternity and paternity leave.
Employee Assistance Programme.
Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues.
Priority Pass, and travel upgrades for long haul company events.
Equal Opportunity
Canonical is an equal opportunity employer. We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background create a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.
Seniority level
Mid‑Senior level
Employment type
Full‑time
Job function
Engineering and Information Technology
Location: Remote roles open in every time zone.
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