Remote opportunity at
CanonicalEngineering Manager
Canonical, the publisher of the Ubuntu operating system, seeks an Engineering Manager to lead distributed software development teams across major time zones. In this role, you…
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About This Role
Canonical, the publisher of the Ubuntu operating system, seeks an Engineering Manager to lead distributed software development teams across major time zones. In this role, you will guide and mentor software engineers ranging from recent graduates to senior staff, drive engineering processes, and collaborate closely with stakeholders, partners, and customers. Canonical is a founder-led, profitable company that pioneered global distributed collaboration, employing over 1,200 colleagues in more than 75 countries…
Job Description
Canonical, the publisher of the Ubuntu operating system, seeks an Engineering Manager to lead distributed software development teams across major time zones. In this role, you will guide and mentor software engineers ranging from recent graduates to senior staff, drive engineering processes, and collaborate closely with stakeholders, partners, and customers. Canonical is a founder-led, profitable company that pioneered global distributed collaboration, employing over 1,200 colleagues in more than 75 countries with almost entirely remote roles.
First-level engineering managers at Canonical partner with a senior engineer to shape product roadmaps, technical strategy, documentation, and community engagement. While you will be responsible for line management, career guidance, and team health, you are also expected to remain technically hands-on by reviewing code, design specifications, and occasionally contributing code to model high standards. Open manager positions span multiple engineering domains, including Python and Golang, C, C++ and Rust, data infrastructure, web technologies, kernel development, AI, IoT, and cloud infrastructure.
Responsibilities
- Lead, coach, and mentor a team of software engineers from graduate to senior levels
- Drive career development, offer regular feedback, and manage line management duties
- Identify and track team health indicators and implement disciplined engineering workflows
- Plan and manage progress toward agreed project goals and milestones
- Represent the team and product to customers, partners, and stakeholders
- Establish and champion strong engineering and organizational practices
- Collaborate actively with other leaders as part of the leadership team
Requirements
- Undergraduate degree in Computer Science or a STEM field, or a strong alternative narrative path
- Exceptional academic background from both high school and university
- Demonstrated experience in leading, coaching, and mentoring software developers
- Strong passion and experience in developing and growing people
- Advanced expertise in a relevant engineering domain
- Solid experience working within an agile development environment
- Self-starting, well-organized approach with the ability to deliver results on schedule
- Professional communication and interaction skills in English
- Ability to travel twice a year for company events lasting up to two weeks
Qualifications
- Experience in a developer advocacy or community role
- Background in operations and system administration
- Experience in performance engineering and security
Core Skills
Benefits
- Distributed work environment with twice-yearly in-person team sprints
- Annual personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000
- Annual compensation reviews and performance-driven annual bonuses
- Recognition rewards and annual holiday leave
- Maternity and paternity leave
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long-haul company events
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers are based only on the employer’s listing; where it doesn’t say, neither do we.
Is this an on-site or remote position?
This role is remote and can be performed from a major time zone, though team members are required to travel twice a year for in-person company events lasting up to two weeks.
What is the compensation and benefits package?
Compensation is shaped by geographical location, experience, and performance, with annual reviews and performance-driven bonuses. Additional benefits include a USD 2,000 yearly learning budget, holiday leave, parental leave, an Employee Assistance Programme, and travel perks.
What technical domains are available for this engineering management role?
Canonical has open manager roles across various domains including Python and Golang, C, C++ and Rust, data infrastructure, web technologies, Flutter, distro packaging, microservices, kernel development, graphics, silicon enablement, and product security.
Are engineering managers expected to write code?
Yes, engineering managers at Canonical should be outstanding developers who can review code and design specs, and they are expected to contribute code to set the standard for coding practices.
Sample Interview Questions
AI-generated questions tailored to this specific role — a preview of the full practice set.