About Canonical

Canonical is the leading provider of open source software and operating systems, powering global enterprise and technology markets with Ubuntu. Ubuntu is at the heart of breakthrough initiatives in public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation, and IoT. Our customers include the world's top public cloud providers, silicon manufacturers, and industry leaders across sectors. As a pioneer in global distributed collaboration, Canonical employs over 1200 colleagues in 75+ countries, with very few office-based roles. Teams connect through 2-4 annual in-person meetings in exciting global locations to align on strategy and execution. Founder-led and profitable, Canonical is rapidly growing and committed to transforming the tech sector through open source.

Role Overview

This Engineering Manager position at Canonical is a first-level management role across diverse engineering domains. Engineering Managers at Canonical are hands-on technical leaders who excel as developers while shaping team direction and delivery. They contribute code to set standards but prioritize team success, collaboration, and growth. Teams are typically timezone-aligned (EMEA, Americas, or APAC), pairing an Engineering Manager with a Senior Engineer to drive product roadmaps, technical strategy, code quality, documentation, and community engagement. Open roles span Python/Golang, C/C++/Rust, data infrastructure, web technologies, Flutter, kernel, servers, graphics, silicon, and more. Positions available in every timezone worldwide, fully remote.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop teams of engineers from graduate to senior levels.
• Work remotely within one or two major timezones.
• Coach, mentor, and deliver career development feedback.
• Identify and track team health indicators.
• Implement disciplined engineering processes and practices.
• Represent your team and product to stakeholders, partners, and customers.
• Develop and evangelize engineering and organizational best practices.
• Plan and manage progress toward goals and projects.
• Collaborate as part of the leadership team with other managers.

Qualifications & Requirements

Essential Skills and Experience

• Exceptional academic record from high school and university.
• Undergraduate degree in Computer Science, STEM, or equivalent narrative.
• Proven drive and track record of exceeding expectations.
• Outstanding verbal and written English communication.
• Passion for people development with demonstrated success.
• Experience leading, coaching, and mentoring software developers.
• Highly organized with ability to ensure timely, high-quality delivery.

Canonical seeks brilliant, motivated engineers passionate about advancing open source. Managers must be comfortable reviewing patches, designs, and contributing code while fostering whole-team excellence.

Benefits & Perks

• 100% remote work from anywhere worldwide.
• Global collaboration with exciting in-person offsites 2-4 times yearly.
• Comprehensive management and soft skills training.
• Competitive compensation in a profitable, growing company.
• Work on impactful projects shaping enterprise open source.
• Opportunities across cutting-edge domains like AI, cloud, and embedded systems.

Career Growth

Canonical invests heavily in engineering talent. Engineering Managers receive dedicated training to refine leadership skills, ensuring alignment on team behaviors, norms, and standards. We grow developers into managers, emphasizing soft skills alongside technical prowess. Career progression includes deeper leadership roles, cross-team collaboration, and contributions to Canonical's mission of delivering the most software to the most companies. Represent products to global customers and partners, building your influence in open source communities.

Why Join Canonical

Join a remote-first culture where open source pioneers make Ubuntu the platform for innovation. Be part of a founder-led company that's profitable and expanding, with teams in 75+ countries. Lead engineering that powers public clouds, AI, IoT, and more. Canonical values brilliance, motivation, and collaboration, offering unparalleled opportunities to shape the future of enterprise compute. If your expertise aligns with our domains—or even if not—apply to join a team transforming tech through reliable, secure open source.

Role FAQs

Is this role fully remote?

Yes, fully home-based worldwide, with positions in every timezone. Occasional in-person team meetups.

What technical domains are open?

Python/Golang, C/C++/Rust, data infra, web/Flutter, kernel, servers, graphics, silicon, security, and more.

Do I need prior management experience?

Experience leading developers is key; Canonical trains motivated engineers in management.

What's the team structure?

Timezone-based teams with Engineering Manager and Senior Engineer focusing on product roadmap and delivery.

How does Canonical support career growth?

Through targeted training, mentorship, and leadership opportunities in a growing global company.