About Canonical

Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu Linux, stands at the forefront of open source innovation, powering global enterprises in public cloud, data science, AI, engineering, and IoT. Trusted by leading cloud providers and silicon manufacturers, Canonical's Ubuntu platform drives breakthrough initiatives worldwide. As a founder-led, profitable, and rapidly growing organization, Canonical employs over 1200 colleagues across 75+ countries, embracing a pioneering remote-first culture with minimal office-based roles. Engineering teams convene 2-4 times annually for strategic in-person sprints in captivating global destinations, fostering collaboration and innovation.

Role Overview

This Graduate Software Engineer position targets 2025 and 2026 graduates passionate about open source and Linux. Join diverse engineering teams tackling challenges from low-level BIOS, kernels, and drivers to desktop apps, containers, and Kubernetes clusters. Work spans tiny Raspberry Pi devices to supercomputers, using languages like Python, Golang, Rust, C/C++, JavaScript, and Bash. Canonical matches top talent to projects aligning with skills and interests in a highly competitive process demanding excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Shape product roadmaps during biannual global sprints with cross-team collaboration.
• Prioritize design and user experience, even in developer tools and CLI applications.
• Develop high-quality, resilient, performant code serving millions of daily users.
• Master key programming languages and deep Linux system knowledge.
• Engage users and open source communities through code reviews and issue trackers.
• Address customer issues promptly, gaining enterprise requirements insight.
• Build security skills in software design and implementation.

Qualifications & Requirements

Canonical seeks exceptional high school and university performers with undergraduate degrees in Computer Science, Business Informatics, Mathematics, or STEM fields featuring programming coursework. Candidates must demonstrate confidence in producing high-quality code in Python, Rust, C/C++, Golang, JavaScript, or Java, plus hands-on Ubuntu or Linux experience. A proven track record of exceeding expectations, result-oriented mindset, and organizational skills are essential for success in this full-time, five-day-a-week role focused on Monday-Friday intensity without routine weekends.

Benefits & Perks

Enjoy fully remote work from anywhere worldwide, with teams aligned to EMEA, APAC, or AMER timezones for optimal collaboration. Benefit from constant mentorship, pair programming, and companionship in solving complex problems. Participate in twice-yearly engineering sprints for skill-building and networking. Canonical offers generous holidays, work-life balance outside core hours, and exposure to compilers, toolchains, security, cryptography, performance, and documentation across vast open source ecosystems.

Career Growth

Launch your career at Canonical with meaningful open source contributions, rapid skill mastery, and global impact. High responsibility from day one accelerates development in software engineering, Linux expertise, and enterprise solutions. Biannual sprints expose you to diverse technologies and career paths, while remote teams provide ongoing coaching. Excel here to advance in a company shaping humanity's technological future through Ubuntu and open source leadership.

Why Join Canonical

Canonical's remote-first model, open source commitment, and Ubuntu's ubiquity offer unparalleled opportunities. Contribute to platforms powering AI, cloud, IoT, and supercomputing for industry leaders. Thrive in a distributed 'fishbowl' environment emphasizing code quality, community engagement, and innovation. For top graduates excited by open source's enterprise potential, Canonical provides challenging projects, global travel perks, and a premium start to a world-class engineering career.

Role FAQs

Q: Is this role truly remote? Yes, fully home-based worldwide, with timezone-aligned teams and periodic in-person sprints.

Q: What languages will I use? Primarily Python, Golang, Rust, C/C++, JavaScript, Bash, across Linux stack levels.

Q: Who is eligible? 2025/2026 graduates with outstanding academics in CS/STEM and Linux experience.

Q: How competitive is hiring? Highly selective; requires demonstrated excellence and effort.

Q: What makes Canonical unique? Profitable, founder-led growth; global open source impact via Ubuntu; remote culture with sprint events.