About Canonical

Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu Linux, is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to global enterprise and technology markets. Ubuntu powers breakthrough initiatives in public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation, and IoT. Our customers include the world's top public cloud and silicon providers, plus industry leaders across sectors. As a pioneer in global distributed collaboration, Canonical employs over 1200 colleagues in 75+ countries with very few office-based roles. Teams align on strategy through in-person meetings 2-4 times yearly in exciting global locations. Founder-led, profitable, and growing, Canonical champions open source innovation.

Role Overview

This Software Engineer (Python/Linux/Packaging) role at Canonical is a remote position based in the Americas. You'll join a team building specialist Python tools that streamline workflows for thousands of snap, rock, and charm publishers. Focus on packaging formats, build systems, and automation to help developers ship software to the widest audiences. Key projects include Snapcraft for automatic app updates to millions of Linux systems (used by Spotify, Slack, Microsoft), Charmcraft for Charmed Operators on Charmhub, and Rockcraft for secure Ubuntu-based container images (Rocks) in registries like Docker Hub.

Impact Your Work

Enable developers to deliver updates effortlessly, eliminating complex installs and long-tail releases. Support charmed operators for databases, caches, observability, and more, scaling from Day 0 to Day 1000.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and maintain Python tools for building snaps, charms, and rocks.
• Extend the snap build ecosystem using languages, toolchains, frameworks, integrations, and CI systems.
• Collaborate with external open source and commercial projects to address community needs.
• Automate developer build and publication processes for simplified workflows.
• Work on build systems, toolchains, and cross-compilation to support diverse packaging formats.
• Contribute to tools impacting millions of Linux users worldwide.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Expertise in Python programming.
• Strong understanding of modern GNU/Linux distribution architecture.
• Good knowledge of build systems, toolchains, and cross-compilation.
• Experience with container technologies like Docker, Kubernetes, and LXD.
• Familiarity with extending ecosystems via languages, frameworks, and CI systems.
• Interest in open source collaboration and developer tooling.

Benefits & Perks

Canonical offers competitive base pay tailored to your location, experience, and skills. Eligible roles include annual bonuses and sales incentives. Our equity-focused compensation ensures fairness across our global workforce. Enjoy a remote-first culture with travel for team meetups in inspiring locations. Additional benefits align with our values, supporting work-life balance and professional growth in a profitable, growing company.

Career Growth

At Canonical, career progression is driven by impact and expertise. Work on high-visibility open source projects like Ubuntu, snaps, charms, and rocks, gaining recognition in the global tech community. Join a founder-led organization investing in talent through mentorship, training, and cross-team opportunities. With rapid growth, advance in engineering leadership, open source strategy, or specialized tooling domains.

Why Join Canonical

Be part of the Ubuntu revolution powering enterprise cloud, AI, and IoT. Thrive in a remote-first, diverse global team committed to open source excellence. Make a tangible impact on developers worldwide while enjoying competitive compensation, travel perks, and a collaborative culture. Canonical's profitability and innovation focus provide stability and excitement for long-term careers.

Role FAQs

Q: Is this role fully remote? Yes, home-based in the Americas with occasional global team meetups.

Q: What tools will I work on? Snapcraft, Charmcraft, Rockcraft, and related Python automation for packaging.

Q: Do I need Linux experience? Strong understanding of GNU/Linux distributions is essential.

Q: What's the team structure? Distributed global team focused on developer tooling.

Q: How does Canonical support open source? We maintain core projects like Ubuntu and collaborate extensively with communities.