About Canonical

Canonical is the company behind Ubuntu, the world's leading open source operating system powering enterprise innovation across public cloud, data science, AI, IoT, and more. As a pioneer in global distributed collaboration, Canonical employs over 1200 colleagues across 75+ countries with a fully remote-first culture. Teams connect through strategic in-person meetups two to four times a year in exciting global locations. Founder-led and profitable, Canonical partners with top public cloud providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to deliver optimized Ubuntu images for millions of users worldwide.

Role Overview

Canonical seeks an experienced Engineering Manager to lead a high-impact team optimizing Ubuntu for public cloud infrastructures. This role focuses on building, testing, and publishing base Ubuntu images that ensure peak performance, security, and reliability for modern workloads including web servers, GPU-accelerated AI, VMs, and containers. Working closely with world-class cloud partners, you'll champion their unique differentiators while maintaining a consistent user experience. Fluent in Python and Golang, you'll provide technical leadership through code reviews, architecture guidance, and automation of image delivery pipelines. Based remotely in the Americas, this position offers up to 15% global travel for key events and collaborations.

Key Responsibilities

As Engineering Manager - Public Cloud, Python, Golang, your leadership will drive both people and product excellence:

• Build and lead a distributed team of engineers aligned with Americas timezones.
• Foster talent growth via coaching, mentoring, feedback, and hands-on career development.
• Contribute directly to engineering goals with sound principles, code reviews, and architectural input.
• Set expectations across engineering teams, management, and external cloud partners like AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• Champion agile practices, healthy engineering culture, documentation, quality, and performance optimization.
• Automate reliable pipelines for Ubuntu image delivery, testing, and publication.
• Collaborate with Canonical teams, open source communities, and commercial partners.

Qualifications & Requirements

Canonical looks for leaders who blend technical depth with people management prowess:

• Proven track record mentoring and growing engineering talent.
• Deep passion and knowledge in software development, especially Python and Golang.
• Focus on delivering high-quality software on time with agile methodologies.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science, STEM, or related field.
• Hands-on experience with at least one major public cloud: AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication for stakeholder engagement.

Technical fluency in your team's stack is essential, including code reviews and architectural decisions to elevate team performance.

Benefits & Perks

Canonical offers competitive, performance-based compensation tailored to location, experience, and impact. Enjoy:

• Base salary with annual reviews and performance-driven bonuses.
• Fully remote work from anywhere in the Americas.
• Global travel opportunities up to 15% for team alignment and partner events.
• Comprehensive benefits package balancing local needs with global fairness.
• Access to cutting-edge projects shaping open source and cloud computing.

Career Growth

At Canonical, engineering managers thrive in a supportive environment prioritizing people development. You'll influence culture, strategy, and execution while growing as a leader. With direct partner engagements and cross-team collaborations, this role accelerates your career in open source, cloud infrastructure, and distributed engineering leadership. Canonical invests in your success through ongoing feedback, skill-building, and exposure to enterprise-scale challenges.

Why Join Canonical

Join a profitable, growing company at the forefront of open source innovation. Work on Ubuntu, the platform trusted by leading cloud providers and enterprises worldwide. Embrace a remote-first culture that values collaboration, autonomy, and impact. Contribute to breakthrough initiatives in public cloud optimization, AI workloads, and secure image delivery. With a founder-led vision and global reach, Canonical empowers you to lead transformative engineering teams while enjoying work-life balance and professional fulfillment.

Role FAQs

Is this role fully remote?

Yes, this is a home-based position in the Americas with up to 15% travel for internal workshops and partner meetings.

What programming languages are required?

Fluency in Python and Golang is essential, with active involvement in code reviews and architecture.

What cloud experience is needed?

Practical hands-on experience with AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform is required.

How does Canonical support career development?

Through dedicated coaching, mentoring, performance feedback, and opportunities to shape team strategy and company culture.

What makes Canonical's culture unique?

Remote-first with global distributed teams, in-person strategy meetups, and a commitment to open source excellence and employee growth.