About Canonical

Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu Linux, is at the forefront of open source innovation. As the world's leading provider of Ubuntu, the most widely used Linux distribution in the cloud, Canonical powers mission-critical infrastructure for enterprises worldwide. Our open source solutions span public clouds, private data centers, virtualization, Kubernetes, and advanced platforms like MLops, data platforms, and more. We're expanding into industries such as telco, finance, healthcare, and media, developing tailored open source technologies to meet their evolving needs. With a remote-first culture, Canonical hires brilliant minds globally to make open source more reliable, secure, and accessible, delivering 'most software to most companies.'

Role Overview

The Cloud Field Engineering Manager role at Canonical is a leadership position overseeing a team of cloud solutions architects. This home-based, worldwide remote opportunity involves managing Field Engineers who design and deploy solutions like OpenStack, MicroCloud, Ceph, Kubernetes, Kubeflow, Spark, and PostgreSQL—either on-premises or in public clouds like AWS, GCP, and Azure. You'll handle line management, career guidance, technical presales, and project delivery, working hands-on with technologies while driving team success. Operating in your time zone, you'll collaborate with customers, stakeholders, and internal teams to promote Canonical's Ubuntu-based cloud offerings.

Key Impact Areas

As a hands-on engineering manager, you'll troubleshoot issues, engage in technical presales, and ensure high-quality deployments handed over to support teams. This role emphasizes people development, process discipline, and achieving quarterly goals in a dynamic open source environment.

Key Responsibilities

In this role, you'll shape the direction of your Field Engineering team:

• Lead and develop engineers from graduate to senior levels in Presales and Professional Services.
• Act as a trusted advisor, solving customer problems with Canonical's cloud technologies.
• Work remotely within a single major time zone, fostering collaboration.
• Coach, mentor, and deliver career development feedback.
• Monitor team health indicators and implement disciplined engineering processes.
• Represent your team to stakeholders, partners, and customers.
• Evangelize engineering best practices and manage progress on goals.
• Contribute to leadership discussions across Canonical.

Qualifications & Requirements

Canonical seeks exceptional candidates who combine technical depth with leadership prowess:

• Deep knowledge of cloud technologies including Kubernetes, OpenStack, AWS, GCP, Azure, and Ceph.
• Practical expertise in Linux and networking.
• Proven experience in technical presales.
• Dynamic personality thriving on new projects and people interaction.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.
• Passion for developing talent with a track record in leadership, coaching, and mentoring.
• Organizational skills ensuring timely, high-quality team delivery.
• Outstanding academic record from high school and preferably university.
• Willingness to travel up to 25% for events and customer meetings.

Additional Nice-to-Haves

Spanish or French language skills, Python proficiency, and experience with Ubuntu deployments enhance your fit.

Benefits & Perks

Joining Canonical means embracing a premium remote-first lifestyle:

• Home-based worldwide with team management in your time zone.
• Competitive salary reflecting tech sector leadership roles.
• Opportunities to work on transformative open source projects.
• Comprehensive management training and career progression paths.
• Travel for tech events, internal gatherings, and customer engagements.
• Global collaboration in a high-impact, innovative culture.

Career Growth

Canonical invests in engineering managers who start as outstanding engineers. We train technical experts in soft skills, helping them grow into influential leaders. Expect mentorship, clear career ladders, and exposure to new industries. Your success will be measured by team achievements, talent development, and contributions to Canonical's open source mission, opening doors to broader leadership roles.

Why Join Canonical

Canonical is where open source pioneers converge to transform enterprise computing. Ubuntu underpins the world's largest clouds, and our Field Engineering teams deliver real-world impact. Enjoy a remote-first culture that values brilliance, motivation, and work-life balance. Be part of expanding open source into telco, finance, healthcare, and beyond—shaping the future of reliable, secure cloud infrastructure. With Canonical, you'll achieve more than you thought possible while feeling proud of groundbreaking results.

Role FAQs

Q: Is this role fully remote? Yes, it's home-based worldwide, with team management in your time zone and up to 25% travel.

Q: What cloud technologies will I work with? Ubuntu, OpenStack, Kubernetes, Ceph, Kubeflow, Spark, PostgreSQL, and public clouds like AWS, GCP, Azure.

Q: Do I need prior management experience? Yes, experience leading, coaching, and mentoring engineers is essential.

Q: What's the focus—technical or managerial? Both: you'll contribute technically but excel primarily in team direction and delivery.

Q: How does Canonical support career growth? Through targeted training, feedback, and opportunities to lead high-impact projects globally.