About Canonical

Canonical is the company behind Ubuntu, the world's leading open source operating system powering enterprise cloud, AI, data science, IoT, and innovation initiatives globally. As a pioneer in distributed collaboration, Canonical employs over 1200 colleagues across 75+ countries with a fully remote-first culture and minimal office-based roles. Teams connect through strategic in-person meetups 2-4 times annually in inspiring global locations. Founder-led and profitable, Canonical drives open source excellence for top public cloud providers, silicon manufacturers, and industry leaders.

Role Overview

The Engineering Manager - App Stores role at Canonical is a technical leadership position overseeing a team developing Python and Golang microservices for the global software distribution engine. This powers the Snap Store (snapcraft.io/store) and Charmhub.io marketplaces, managing complex concepts like architectures, releases, betas, and stable branches. You'll lead efforts to expand software delivery capabilities, enhancing the open source experience worldwide. Expect hands-on code reviews, architectural guidance, and fostering high-velocity engineering through agile practices, testing, and clean APIs. Collaborate with Canonical's world-class security team to deliver scalable, secure SaaS products handling massive loads, such as Ubuntu Desktop snap updates.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership and Development

Lead a remote team of engineers within Americas, Europe, Middle East, or Africa time zones. Focus on talent growth via coaching, mentoring, feedback, and hands-on career development. Ensure the team remains focused, productive, and unblocked while promoting professional satisfaction and community collaboration.

Technical Delivery and Collaboration

Build clean web service APIs supporting CLI and web clients using Python (optionally Golang). Engage with Canonical teams, open-source communities, and commercial partners. Produce engineering roadmaps with ambitious goals alongside other managers, product leads, and architects. Conduct code reviews and provide architectural leadership.

Culture and Strategy

Champion healthy engineering practices including documentation, quality, performance optimization. Influence company culture positively, reflect on strategy/execution with your team, and manage expectations across stakeholders.

Qualifications & Requirements

Canonical seeks Engineering Managers with deep experience in modern agile software development and forming collaborative cultures aligned with company values. You must be technically fluent in your team's languages (Python/Golang), architecture, and components. Demonstrate role-model engineering principles through direct contributions. Prioritize tests for velocity/reliability, ship calmly against plans, and commit to fair management for high-performing teams. Willingness to travel up to 4 times yearly for internal events is essential. Passion for mentoring engineers and scalable SaaS systems is key.

Benefits & Perks

Enjoy 100% remote work from anywhere in supported time zones, joining a global team passionate about open source. Benefit from Canonical's stability as a profitable, growing enterprise. Access world-class security expertise and cutting-edge projects impacting millions via Ubuntu. Participate in exciting international meetups. Thrive in a culture valuing work-life balance, professional growth, and innovation in cloud, AI, and IoT.

Career Growth

At Canonical, Engineering Managers advance through technical depth and leadership impact. Develop colleagues into top engineers while expanding your expertise in high-scale SaaS, open source ecosystems, and global collaboration. Regular reflections, cross-team partnerships, and leadership involvement position you for broader influence. Canonical invests in your growth, offering mentorship from industry pioneers and opportunities to shape Ubuntu's future.

Why Join Canonical

Join Canonical to engineer transformative open source solutions at scale. Work on Ubuntu-powered platforms serving global enterprises, from public clouds to IoT. Embrace a remote-first, distributed model that's redefined tech collaboration. Contribute to Snap Store and Charmhub, reaching developers worldwide. In a founder-led company prioritizing excellence, you'll lead meaningful work with autonomy, security focus, and community impact.

Role FAQs

Is this role fully remote?

Yes, fully remote worldwide in Americas, Europe, Middle East, or Africa time zones, with occasional travel for team events.

What tech stack will I work with?

Primarily Python microservices, optionally Golang, building APIs for software distribution platforms.

Do I need prior management experience?

Yes, experience leading agile teams and developing engineers is required, plus strong hands-on technical skills.

How does Canonical support career development?

Through coaching, mentoring, feedback, global meetups, and collaboration with elite teams in security and engineering.

What makes this role unique?

Scale of impact on open source distribution via Snap/Charmhub, combined with Canonical's remote culture and Ubuntu innovation.