About Canonical

Canonical is the company behind Ubuntu, the world's leading open source operating system powering enterprise innovation worldwide. As a pioneer in open source software, Canonical delivers Ubuntu to global enterprises tackling public cloud, data science, AI, engineering, and IoT challenges. Our customers include top public cloud providers, silicon manufacturers, and industry leaders across sectors. With over 1200 colleagues spanning 75+ countries, Canonical champions a fully distributed, remote-first culture. Teams connect through 2-4 annual in-person strategy sessions in inspiring global locations. Founder-led and profitable, Canonical continues rapid growth while advancing open source excellence.

Role Overview

Canonical seeks a Site Reliability/GitOps Engineer for its Information Systems (IS) team, supporting IT production services for over 60 million Ubuntu users. This automation-first role drives next-level operations using Infrastructure as Code (IaC), CI/CD pipelines, and Canonical's leading open source tools. You'll enhance private and public cloud operations, improve product resilience at scale, and collaborate globally. Perfect for Linux enthusiasts passionate about GitOps, distributed systems, and open source contributions via bug reports and pull requests. Fully remote worldwide, join a supportive SRE team delivering mission-critical services to Canonical, its customers, and the Ubuntu community.

Key Responsibilities

Infrastructure Automation

Apply IaC expertise to evolve Canonical's infrastructure practices, boosting automation and refining processes across environments.

Cloud Operations

Automate software operations for consistency in private/public clouds, addressing distributed system complexities with reusable solutions.

Service Improvement

Develop features enhancing cloud and container portfolio resilience/scalability while maintaining core services, networks, and infrastructure.

Observability & Troubleshooting

Build skills in capacity planning, performance investigation; deploy Prometheus, Grafana, Elasticsearch for monitoring/alerting.

Collaboration & Escalations

Partner with dev teams on architecture, documentation, playbooks; assist global peers; handle time-critical escalations with final responsibility.

Qualifications & Requirements

Canonical seeks technologists with deep IaC and GitOps experience, defining operations via version control, peer review, and CI/CD for apps/infrastructure. Essential: Linux passion, IT operations automation background, distributed systems knowledge. Proficiency in observability (Prometheus/Grafana), troubleshooting, and cloud/container tech. Bonus: Contributions to open source, experience scaling services for millions. Strong communication for global collaboration, self-motivation for uninterrupted project focus, and mentorship sharing. This role demands an automation-first mindset to elevate Canonical's Ubuntu-powered infrastructure.

Benefits & Perks

Thrive in Canonical's remote-first model with flexibility across timezones. Enjoy uninterrupted development blocks for impactful automation. Access world-class open source tools, global peer support, and in-person summits. Competitive compensation in a profitable, growing firm. Contribute to Ubuntu's ecosystem serving 60M+ users. Professional growth through design sessions, mentorship, and cross-team projects. Health, wellness, and learning stipends enhance work-life balance in this distributed powerhouse.

Career Growth

At Canonical, SREs advance by driving visible infrastructure wins, upstreaming improvements to Ubuntu/open source projects. Gain exposure to enterprise-scale operations, public cloud leaders, and cutting-edge IaC/GitOps. Mentorship and 'doing work together' sessions build expertise. Progress to senior SRE, engineering management, or specialized cloud roles. Canonical's flat structure rewards impact; many rise through global contributions. Continuous learning via conferences, certifications, and internal training fuels long-term tech careers.

Why Join Canonical

Work at the forefront of open source with Ubuntu, powering AI, cloud, and IoT revolutions. Canonical's remote culture eliminates commutes, enabling focus on innovation. Collaborate with top talent in 75+ countries, shaping products for global enterprises. Founder-led stability ensures growth without corporate bureaucracy. Your automation expertise directly impacts 60M+ users and Canonical's services. Join a values-driven company prioritizing open source, diversity, and excellence in distributed engineering.

Role FAQs

Is this role fully remote?

Yes, available remotely worldwide in any timezone with occasional in-person team events.

What tech stack will I use?

IaC tools, GitOps, CI/CD, Linux, Prometheus/Grafana/Elasticsearch, Canonical's cloud/container products.

Do I need open source contribution experience?

Preferred; you'll provide feedback via bugs/pull requests to improve Ubuntu technologies.

How does the team collaborate?

Globally distributed via async tools, daily syncs, mentorship, and 2-4 yearly offsites.

What growth opportunities exist?

Technical leadership, management tracks, upstream contributions, global projects in growing company.