About Canonical

Canonical is a pioneering technology company at the forefront of the global shift to open source software. As the publisher of Ubuntu, the world's leading Linux distribution, Canonical powers breakthrough enterprise initiatives in public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation, and IoT. Our customers include the top public cloud providers and silicon giants like Intel, AMD, Nvidia, MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Samsung. We collaborate with OEMs and ODMs such as Dell, HP, Lenovo, Advantech, and ADLink to ensure Ubuntu delivers flawless performance on their hardware.

Founder-led and profitable, Canonical operates with over 1200 colleagues across 75+ countries, embracing a remote-first culture with minimal office-based roles. Teams align through two to four annual in-person sprints in exciting global locations, fostering collaboration and innovation. This distributed model enables us to attract top talent worldwide while maintaining high standards of excellence.

Role Overview

The Ubuntu Enablement Engineer role at Canonical in Beijing, China, is an office-based position focused on partnering with leading OEMs, ODMs, and silicon vendors to optimize Ubuntu on next-generation hardware. Your expertise will directly enhance the Ubuntu experience for millions of users across enterprise, cloud, and edge computing environments. This fast-paced role demands strong time management, insightful debugging, critical thinking, and deep Linux system knowledge.

Based in Beijing, you will represent Canonical in a key market, working closely with hardware partners to bring up platforms, resolve issues, and deliver technical training. Occasional international travel to the EU, USA, Taiwan, and China will keep you connected to global teams and events.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with partners on platform bring-up for new hardware.
• Debug and prioritize technical issues, escalating to Canonical engineering teams when necessary.
• Facilitate seamless communication between Ubuntu developers, firmware teams, and hardware engineers.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with OEMs, ODMs, and silicon partners.
• Perform root cause analysis, collect data, and organize details to reproduce and explain issues.
• Provide rapid response times and realistic timelines for issue resolution.
• Plan, build, and deliver Ubuntu ecosystem technical training to partners.
• Design and support factory processes during production preparation and operations.
• Travel internationally occasionally for company events and partner engagements.

Qualifications & Requirements

To succeed in this role, you need proven Linux kernel, boot, and system-level architecture skills, along with strong debugging and resolution abilities. Excellent written and verbal English communication is essential for global collaboration. We seek candidates with an exceptional academic track record from high school and university, typically holding an undergraduate degree in a technical field—or a compelling narrative for an alternative path.

You must thrive in a globally distributed team, demonstrate good interpersonal skills for customer engagements, learn quickly to tackle cutting-edge technologies, and be available for international travel twice yearly (up to two weeks per event).

Nice-to-have experience includes system firmware (UEFI, ACPI, DSDT, bootloaders), power management debugging (PCI ASPM, SATA ALPM), board bring-up and validation, and knowledge of x86, ARM, or RISC-V architectures.

Benefits & Perks

Canonical offers competitive, location-adjusted compensation with annual reviews and performance-driven bonuses. All team members enjoy:

• Distributed work environment with biannual in-person team sprints in global locations.
• USD 2,000 annual personal learning and development budget.
• Recognition rewards for outstanding contributions.
• Generous annual holiday leave, maternity, and paternity leave.
• Team Member Assistance Program and Wellness Platform.
• Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long-haul company events.
• Opportunities to travel and meet colleagues worldwide.

Our benefits balance local needs with global fairness, ensuring every colleague feels valued.

Career Growth

At Canonical, career progression is driven by performance and impact. We invest in your growth through dedicated learning budgets, technical training, and exposure to world-class projects. As an Ubuntu Enablement Engineer, you'll work on bleeding-edge hardware with industry leaders, gaining expertise that positions you for senior engineering, partner management, or leadership roles. Annual reviews and our high-performance culture reward excellence with rapid advancement opportunities in our growing, profitable company.

Why Join Canonical

Joining Canonical means contributing to Ubuntu, the platform shaping AI, cloud, IoT, and open source innovation. Work with the best minds in a remote-first, founder-led company that's changing software worldwide. In Beijing, you'll bridge Eastern hardware innovation with Canonical's global engineering prowess, enjoying a premium office environment, international travel, and perks that support work-life balance. Be part of a team that's profitable, expanding, and committed to excellence.

Role FAQs

Q: Is this role fully remote? No, this is an office-based role in Beijing, China, with occasional international travel.

Q: What salary can I expect? Compensation is competitive for Beijing's tech sector, based on experience, with annual reviews and bonuses.

Q: Do I need firmware experience? It's a nice-to-have; core Linux kernel and debugging skills are required.

Q: How often is travel required? Twice yearly for company events (up to two weeks each), plus occasional partner visits.

Q: What's the team structure? Globally distributed with in-person sprints; you'll collaborate across time zones.

Apply now to shape the future of Ubuntu on cutting-edge hardware at Canonical.