About Canonical

Canonical is the company behind Ubuntu, the world's leading open source operating system powering enterprise innovation across public cloud, data science, AI, engineering, and IoT. As a pioneer in global distributed collaboration, Canonical employs over 1200 colleagues across 75+ countries with minimal office-based roles. Teams align through 2-4 in-person meetings yearly in inspiring global locations. Founder-led and profitable, Canonical serves top public cloud providers, silicon manufacturers, and industry leaders, driving open source adoption worldwide.

Role Overview

Canonical seeks a Staff Software Engineer for Identity Management to enhance authorization and access management across its enterprise products and web services, including canonical.com and ubuntu.com. Using Go (Golang) and Python, you'll modernize identity solutions impacting all Canonical users. This role involves owning system design, delivery, integrations, and strategy execution, plus developing Juju charms for operations. Fully remote in the Americas, it offers technical leadership in a remote-first, open source environment.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership and Collaboration

Proactively collaborate with distributed global teams, leading technical discussions and efforts to drive project success.

API and Feature Development

Write clean web service APIs supporting CLI and web clients using Go and Python. Design, implement, and deploy new features from specification to scalable production operations.

Code Quality and Review

Review code from peers, establish quality standards, and foster a culture of engineering excellence.

Identity System Enhancements

Create and enhance management, authentication, and authorization API endpoints. Craft secure end-user authentication flows and write Juju charms to handle operational concerns.

Innovation in IAM

Modernize Canonical's identity stack for websites and products by adopting best-of-breed IAM technologies, ensuring secure, scalable solutions.

Qualifications & Requirements

This staff-level role demands proven expertise as a staff or experienced senior software engineer specializing in identity and access management products. Essential qualifications include deep familiarity with open source identity standards like OpenID, OAuth, and LDAP, plus hands-on experience implementing authorization frameworks in distributed systems. You must prioritize secure coding practices and thrive in collaborative teams valuing the same. Comfort with Go, Python, web services, and operational tools like Juju is required. Background in modernizing IAM stacks and delivering user-loved products is highly valued.

Benefits & Perks

Canonical offers a premium remote-first experience: work from home anywhere in the Americas with a global team. Enjoy 2-4 weeks of paid travel annually for strategy sessions and events in exciting worldwide locations. Benefit from a profitable, growing company with direct impact on Ubuntu and enterprise open source solutions. Access cutting-edge technologies, collaborative culture, and opportunities to shape industry-leading products used by Fortune 500 firms and cloud giants.

Career Growth

At Canonical, career progression is driven by impact and expertise. As a Staff Software Engineer, you'll lead initiatives, mentor juniors, and influence Canonical's identity strategy. The distributed model fosters global visibility, with regular all-hands, tech talks, and cross-team projects. Advance to principal engineer or architecture roles while contributing to Ubuntu's ecosystem, Juju operators, and emerging IAM innovations. Continuous learning through open source contributions and conferences supports long-term growth in a stable, expanding organization.

Why Join Canonical

Join a remote-first leader in open source, where your work on Ubuntu powers breakthroughs in cloud, AI, and IoT for the world's top enterprises. Canonical's unique culture combines autonomy, excellence, and global connection without office politics. Contribute to meaningful products securing millions of users, while enjoying work-life balance, travel perks, and a founder-led vision prioritizing innovation and profitability. Stand out in tech by building identity solutions at scale in Go and Python.

Role FAQs

Is this role fully remote?

Yes, fully home-based in the Americas region, with 2-4 weeks of optional global travel per year.

What tech stack will I use?

Primarily Go (Golang) and Python for APIs, plus Juju charms, with focus on IAM protocols like OAuth and OpenID.

What experience level is required?

Staff-level or experienced senior engineer with specific IAM product-building background.

How does Canonical support open source?

Your work directly enhances Ubuntu and related projects, contributing to the global open source community.

What makes Canonical's culture unique?

Distributed across 75+ countries, emphasizing async collaboration, quality, and in-person strategy summits.