Linux Software Engineer - Ubuntu -Gen Silicon; and seniority levels

Position: Linux Software Engineer - Ubuntu for Next-Gen Silicon (multiple roles and seniority levels)
Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is 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.

The company is founder‑led, profitable, and growing.

Canonical’s Partner Engineering Team is looking for open‑source enthusiasts to work across the full Linux stack to ensure new silicon technologies, such as new hardware accelerators, AI stacks, confidential computing, networking, virtualization, and containerization stacks, are optimized for new silicons.

Partner Engineering works closely with worldwide silicon companies to optimize Ubuntu for their new silicon, from x86, ARM, RISC‑V, Power

PC and s390x architectures.

Location:

This is a Globally remote role.

The role entails

Collaborating proactively within a distributed team

Fostering a software ecosystem with seamless user experience for all Ubuntu users

Evaluating contributions of other engineers to maintain high‑quality software standards.

Playing a role in shaping the future of Ubuntu via both new ideas in your areas of interest and advising on work being done elsewhere

Collaborating with other teams in the Ubuntu and Debian communities, upstream projects, and commercially supported customers

Debugging issues on open source code and team‑maintained code.

Helping our customers to integrate their apps, SDKs, build OS images, optimize applications with Ubuntu Core, Desktop and Server

Working with a team to maintain Ubuntu, silicon features, and silicon‑optimized packages across platforms and technologies such as:

Servers, HPC and AI systems, IoT devices, PCs, Smart

NICs and automotive systems

AI stacks

Graphics, audio and multimedia stacks

Virtualisation and Containers

Hardware enablement stacks

New architectures, architecture variants and optimized tool chains

Package management and dependencies

Platform security (secure boot, FDE, Ubuntu Core, Confidential Computing)

Work from home with global travel 2 to 4 weeks for internal events

What we are looking for in you

Exceptional academic track record from both high school and university

Undergraduate degree in a technical subject or a compelling narrative about your alternative chosen path

You love technology and working with brilliant people

You are curious, flexible, articulate, and accountable

You value soft skills and are passionate, enterprising, thoughtful, and self‑motivated

You value building partnerships with a diverse set of internal and external groups

Strong fundamentals in C, C++ and Python

Experience or interest in learning Linux distribution packaging

Experience or Interest in open source maintenance or contribution and licenses

Fundamental understanding of package management and dependency resolution

Additional Skills That You Might Also Bring

Experience with one or more of the following:

Graphics, audio or multimedia stacks

Virtualization and containers (Docker, OCI, Kubernetes)

Hardware enablement for platforms and devices, including Smart

NICs, NVMe storage, GPUs, audio components, and sensors

Performance optimization

Toolchain development and maintenance

Networking protocols and technologies (TCP/IP, DHCP, HTTP/REST)

Security best practices

IoT and embedded systems, including board‑level hardware, SoCs, BMCs, bootloaders, firmware, operating systems, applications, and services

What we offer colleagues

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

Team Member Assistance Program & Wellness Platform

Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues

Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long‑haul…