Opportunity at
CanonicalObservability Engineering Manager
Canonical, the publisher of the Ubuntu operating system, seeks an Observability Engineering Manager to lead the development of service mesh or distributed tracing products within the…
Career Tools
About This Role
Canonical, the publisher of the Ubuntu operating system, seeks an Observability Engineering Manager to lead the development of service mesh or distributed tracing products within the observability group. This profitable, founder-led software company delivers open-source platforms widely used across the public cloud, IoT, and AI sectors. The organization operates globally with a distributed workforce where team members generally work from home. In this leadership role, the successful candidate will direct…
Job Description
Canonical, the publisher of the Ubuntu operating system, seeks an Observability Engineering Manager to lead the development of service mesh or distributed tracing products within the observability group. This profitable, founder-led software company delivers open-source platforms widely used across the public cloud, IoT, and AI sectors. The organization operates globally with a distributed workforce where team members generally work from home.
In this leadership role, the successful candidate will direct a distributed team of engineers, guide observability portfolio strategy, review code, and participate in architectural decisions. Engineering managers at Canonical remain hands-on coders who set clear expectations, support professional growth, and collaborate closely with product managers and architects. Team members travel internationally two to four times annually for in-person alignment events.
Responsibilities
- Manage a distributed team of engineers and oversee its observability portfolio
- Organize and lead team processes to achieve strategic objectives
- Conduct regular one-on-one meetings with team members
- Identify and track team health indicators
- Participate in and contribute to the vibrant open source community
- Review software code produced by engineers
- Represent the organization and its observability stack at industry conferences
Requirements
- Proven professional software delivery experience
- Familiarity with Linux, with a preference for Ubuntu or Debian
- Willingness to travel up to four times yearly for internal events
- Professional written and spoken English proficiency
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills
- Self-motivated, result-oriented mindset with a drive to meet commitments
Qualifications
- Exceptional academic background from high school and university
- Prior experience as an engineering manager building high-performance teams
- Professional Python development experience
- Working knowledge of the Go programming language
- Past open-source contribution experience
- Familiarity and interest in container technologies
- Understanding of observability and monitoring principles for software reliability
- Background in designing and implementing observability solutions
Core Skills
Benefits
- Distributed work environment featuring twice-yearly in-person team sprints
- Annual personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000
- Regular compensation reviews and performance-driven annual bonus or commission
- Recognition rewards and annual holiday leave
- Maternity and paternity leave
- Team Member Assistance Program and Wellness Platform
- 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.
What is the remote work policy for this role?
The posting states that the position can be home-based in the EMEA or Americas regions. Team members generally work from home and meet in person two to four times yearly for strategy and execution events.
What are the primary responsibilities of an Engineering Manager at Canonical?
Engineering managers run effective teams, develop colleagues, review and develop code as leaders, establish clear expectations, and collaborate with product managers and architects on engineering roadmaps.
Is travel required for this position?
Yes, the role requires a willingness to travel up to four times a year for internal events and company gatherings.
What compensation and benefits are provided?
Compensation is shaped by geographical location, experience, and performance, and is reviewed annually. Additional benefits include a performance-driven bonus or commission, a USD 2,000 annual learning budget, maternity and paternity leave, wellness programs, and travel perks.
Sample Interview Questions
AI-generated questions tailored to this specific role — a preview of the full practice set.