About Canonical

Canonical is the pioneering force behind Ubuntu, the world's leading open source operating system powering public cloud, AI, data science, IoT, and engineering innovation globally. As a founder-led, profitable, and rapidly growing company, Canonical serves top public cloud providers, silicon manufacturers, and industry leaders across sectors. With over 1,000 colleagues spanning 70+ countries, Canonical pioneered global distributed collaboration and maintains a remote-first culture since 2004. Teams connect through strategic in-person sprints two to four times yearly in exciting global locations, fostering alignment and innovation without traditional office constraints.

Role Overview

Canonical seeks an exceptional C and Golang Software Engineer to drive development of dqlite, our distributed SQLite database leveraging a custom Raft library for consensus and replication. Available as a pure C library and Go package, dqlite powers key projects like MicroK8s and LXD, with upcoming bindings for Python and beyond. This home-based role in EMEA offers you the chance to design enhancements, resolve issues, and engage with users, delivering meaningful impact on modern distributed computing technologies. Join a fast-paced team where your expertise in low-level systems programming shapes open source infrastructure used by millions.

Key Responsibilities

In this role, you'll be at the forefront of dqlite's evolution, focusing on libraft, dqlite, and go-dqlite components. Key responsibilities include:

• Designing and implementing new features across the dqlite ecosystem to enhance performance and reliability.
• Debugging and fixing issues reported by users in production environments.
• Improving Jepsen tests, high-availability database automated testing, and stress tests for robust validation.
• Participating actively in Canonical's engineering process through rigorous code and architectural reviews.
• Engaging with the open source community and commercial partners to gather feedback and drive adoption.

Qualifications & Requirements

Canonical sets a high bar for talent. We seek engineers with:

• Proven experience with distributed systems, ideally including Raft consensus protocols.
• Strong C programming skills for performance-critical library development.
• Solid understanding of asynchronous programming and concurrency patterns as a plus.
• Demonstrated capacity to learn quickly and adapt to new systems and techniques.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for collaboration across global teams.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science, STEM, or a related field.

Your passion for open source and distributed databases will thrive in this environment.

Benefits & Perks

Canonical offers competitive, performance-based compensation tailored to location, experience, and impact, with annual reviews and bonuses. Beyond base pay, enjoy:

• Fully distributed remote work with biannual in-person team sprints in inspiring locations.
• USD 2,000 annual personal learning and development budget.
• Comprehensive leave policies including annual holiday, maternity, and paternity leave.
• Employee Assistance Programme for wellbeing support.
• Recognition rewards and travel perks like Priority Pass and upgrades for long-haul company events.

These benefits reflect Canonical's commitment to fairness, work-life balance, and global equity.

Career Growth

At Canonical, career progression is driven by excellence and impact. This role provides deep exposure to cutting-edge distributed systems, Raft implementations, and SQLite extensions used in production Kubernetes and container environments. You'll collaborate with world-class engineers, contribute to high-profile open source projects, and access mentorship through code reviews and sprints. Annual compensation reviews ensure top performers are rewarded, while the USD 2,000 learning budget supports certifications, conferences, and skill-building in areas like advanced concurrency or database internals. Canonical's remote-first model empowers rapid advancement without geographical limits.

Why Join Canonical

Joining Canonical means shaping the future of open source at scale. Ubuntu underpins breakthroughs in AI, cloud-native applications, and edge computing, and your work on dqlite will directly influence MicroK8s, LXD, and beyond. Thrive in a high-trust, excellence-driven culture where remote collaboration is seamless, innovation is daily, and global impact is real. As an equal opportunity employer, Canonical champions diversity, ensuring every background contributes to better products and workplaces. This is your opportunity to work smarter, learn continuously, and elevate your career with a company changing computing worldwide.

Role FAQs

Is this role fully remote?

Yes, this is a home-based position available in EMEA, with optional twice-yearly in-person team sprints.

What technologies will I work with?

Primarily C and Golang on dqlite, libraft, including distributed systems, SQLite, Raft, Jepsen testing, and open source contributions.

What experience level is required?

We seek engineers with solid C experience, distributed systems knowledge (Raft preferred), and a STEM degree or equivalent.

How does compensation work?

Base pay is competitive for EMEA tech rates, plus performance bonuses, with annual reviews based on impact.

What's the application process?

Submit your CV highlighting relevant experience; we'll review and progress top candidates through technical interviews and reviews.