About Canonical

Canonical is the company behind Ubuntu, the world's leading open-source operating system powering public cloud, AI, data science, IoT, and enterprise innovation. As a pioneer in open-source software, Canonical serves global leaders in cloud providers, silicon manufacturers, and diverse industries. Founder-led, profitable, and rapidly growing, Canonical operates a fully distributed model with over 1200 colleagues across 80+ countries. Most roles are remote-first, with teams uniting 2-4 times yearly in exciting global locations for strategy alignment and collaboration. Join a company that's reshaping software through open source excellence.

Role Overview

Canonical seeks a Lead Data Governance Engineer to champion data governance within the Commercial Systems unit. This remote EMEA-based role focuses on crafting policies, processes, standards, and monitoring to ensure compliance with GDPR, DPA, ISO, and internal frameworks. You'll develop Python-based tools to automate internal data mesh operations, including data labeling, quality metrics, access management, and security best practices. Working with open-source tools like Trino and Ranger, you'll enable secure, governed access to comprehensive datasets from internal and external sources, democratizing data across Canonical.

Key Responsibilities

• Define, monitor, and execute robust data governance policies aligned with regulatory and internal standards.
• Design, implement, and maintain Python tooling for automated data mesh operations, enhancing efficiency and compliance.
• Deploy and operate services developed by the Data Governance team to support scalable data access.
• Depending on seniority, coach and mentor team members while providing career development feedback.
• Develop and evangelize superior engineering practices and organizational processes to drive team excellence.

What We Are Looking For

Canonical hires top talent who exceed expectations. Ideal candidates bring hands-on experience in data quality, governance, and security, coupled with strong Python and SQL development skills.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Exceptional academic record from high school and university, or a compelling alternative path in a technical field.
• Proven track record of surpassing expectations to deliver outstanding results.
• Deep experience with data governance, quality, and security processes and tools.
• Strong software development proficiency in Python and SQL.
• Professional written and spoken English with excellent presentation abilities.
• Result-driven mindset with personal commitment to deadlines.
• Willingness to travel internationally twice yearly for up to two-week company events.

Nice-to-have: Performance engineering, security expertise, or familiarity with Airbyte, Ranger, Superset, Temporal, or Trino.

Benefits & Perks

Canonical offers competitive, performance-based compensation tailored to location, experience, and impact, with annual reviews and bonuses. Enjoy a distributed work environment emphasizing work-life balance and global collaboration.

• Fully remote work with twice-yearly in-person team sprints in inspiring locations.
• USD 2,000 personal learning and development budget annually.
• Annual compensation reviews, performance-driven bonuses or commissions.
• Recognition rewards for outstanding contributions.
• Generous annual holiday leave, plus maternity and paternity leave.
• Comprehensive Employee Assistance Program.
• Travel opportunities with Priority Pass and upgrades for long-haul company events.

Career Growth

At Canonical, career progression is merit-based in a high-performance culture. As a Lead Data Governance Engineer, you'll influence data strategy in a growing open-source leader. Access mentorship, skill-building resources, and global exposure. Excel here to advance into senior engineering, architecture, or leadership roles shaping Ubuntu's data ecosystem and beyond. Canonical invests in your growth with structured feedback, learning budgets, and cross-team opportunities.

Why Join Canonical

Work on Ubuntu, the platform fueling AI, cloud, and IoT revolutions, in a remote-first culture that's been distributed since 2004. Canonical sets the global standard for open-source excellence, attracting top talent worldwide. Thrive in a discrimination-free environment valuing diverse perspectives. Challenge yourself to innovate, collaborate globally, and contribute to world-changing technology. This is your chance to elevate your career with a profitable, visionary company.

Role FAQs

Is this role fully remote?

Yes, it's home-based in the EMEA region, with occasional international travel for company events.

What tools does the team use?

The Data Governance team leverages open-source tools like Trino and Ranger, plus Python for custom automation.

How is compensation structured?

Base pay plus performance bonuses, reviewed annually, competitive for EMEA tech market.

What makes Canonical unique?

Remote-first since inception, Ubuntu innovation, global distributed teams, and commitment to open source.

Does Canonical support professional development?

Absolutely, with a USD 2,000 yearly learning budget and career mentoring opportunities.