Ubuntu Engineering Lead

Ubuntu Engineering Lead – Canonical

We are hiring a leader to work across the breadth of Canonical’s Ubuntu Engineering organization. Our team focuses on quality, performance, and resilience in software, and we value technical leadership and a proven track record of building high‑performing engineering teams.

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.

Key teams that ship Ubuntu include:

• Foundations
  : maintaining foundational software such as architectures, package managers, compilers, tool chains, bootloaders, file systems, and core utilities
• Server
  : leading the design, evolution, and future of our Ubuntu Server distribution
• Desktop
  : driving Ubuntu Desktop, including Ubuntu Core Desktop, WSL, gaming technology, and modern applications built with Flutter
• Debcrafters
  : a new team responsible for the forward movement, maintenance, and overall health of the Ubuntu archive

Remote roles are open in every time zone.

• Lead teams to elevate 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

• Exceptional academic track record from high school and university
• Undergraduate degree in Computer Science or STEM, or a compelling alternative path narrative
• Ability to drive and deliver technical work streams beyond expectations
• Experience leading and coaching others to deliver exceptional engineering work
• 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 personal drive to meet commitments
• Ability to travel twice a year for company events up to two weeks each

• Experience contributing to or leading open‑source projects
• Experience with Linux distributions / distribution engineering
• Experience with software packaging and distribution mechanisms
• Experience in performance or security engineering

• 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

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.