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 across industries. As a pioneer in open source software, Canonical serves global leaders in public cloud, silicon, and Fortune 500 companies. Founder-led, profitable, and growing, Canonical employs over 1200 colleagues across 75+ countries in a fully distributed, remote-first model established since 2004. Teams align through strategic in-person sprints in exciting global locations 2-4 times yearly.

Role Overview

Canonical seeks a skilled Software Engineer to advance Juju, its flagship open-source Go project orchestrating model-driven operations for complex distributed systems. Juju powers cloud automation on public clouds, private clouds, Kubernetes, and bare-metal, integrated with the Ops framework for comprehensive application and infrastructure management. This globally remote role contributes to features relied upon by Canonical's Managed Solutions, OpenStack teams, and enterprise clients worldwide.

Day-to-Day Impact

Expect to design and deliver scalable features, collaborate across time zones, debug production issues, and engage publicly with open source communities—all while enjoying the flexibility of home-based work with occasional travel.

Key Responsibilities

In this Juju Software Engineer (Go) position, you will:

• Contribute to the design, delivery, and support of features in highly concurrent, distributed systems driving cloud automation at scale.
• Proactively collaborate with a global distributed team of experts.
• Debug complex issues and interact publicly with upstream communities.
• Work alongside talented engineers in diverse fields, discussing ideas and refining solutions.
• Operate remotely with 2-4 weeks of annual global travel for team events and sprints.

Qualifications & Requirements

Canonical prioritizes candidates with:

• Proven experience developing software in Go.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication, optimized for online distributed environments.
• Exceptional academic record from high school and preferably university.
• Willingness to travel up to 4 times yearly for internal events.

Additional Valued Skills

While not mandatory, experience in highly concurrent systems, containers (Docker, LXD, Kubernetes), networking, agile methodologies, Linux/open source, configuration management (Ansible, Chef, Puppet), cloud computing, software packaging (Debian, snaps), databases (SQL/NoSQL), distributed open source contributions, or Terraform plugins will accelerate your impact.

Benefits & Perks

Canonical offers competitive, location- and performance-based compensation with annual reviews and bonuses. Key perks include:

• Fully distributed remote work since 2004, with biannual in-person sprints.
• USD 2,000 annual personal learning budget.
• Performance-driven annual bonus and recognition rewards.
• Generous annual holiday, maternity, and paternity leave.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Global travel opportunities with Priority Pass and upgrades for company events.

Benefits balance global fairness with local needs, ensuring equity for all team members.

Career Growth

At Canonical, career progression is merit-based in a high-standards environment. Engineers advance through impactful contributions to Ubuntu and projects like Juju, with frequent compensation adjustments for graduates and high performers. Access mentorship from open source experts, contribute to world-changing initiatives, and leverage the USD 2,000 learning budget for certifications, conferences, or courses. Distributed teams foster ownership, with clear paths to senior roles, leadership, and influence on enterprise open source strategy.

Why Join Canonical

Join a remote-first pioneer shaping open source's future. Work on Ubuntu, the platform for AI, cloud, and IoT, collaborating with top global talent. Enjoy unparalleled flexibility, competitive pay, professional growth, and the thrill of delivering tools used by Fortune 500 firms. Canonical's culture emphasizes innovation, inclusivity, and impact—perfect for Go engineers passionate about distributed systems and open source.

Role FAQs

Q: Is this role fully remote? Yes, it's globally remote with 2-4 weeks annual travel.

Q: What Go experience is required? Solid experience developing software in Go; distributed systems a plus.

Q: How does Canonical handle compensation? Based on location, experience, performance; annual reviews with bonuses.

Q: What's the team structure? Fully distributed across 75+ countries, with in-person strategy sprints.

Q: Can I contribute to open source? Absolutely—Juju is open source, and community contributions are encouraged.

Q: What makes Juju unique? It enables model-driven ops across clouds, K8s, and bare-metal for enterprise-scale automation.