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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…
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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 is a home-based role open to candidates located in the EMEA or Americas regions, with required travel up to four times per year for internal company events. The person in this position will combine management duties with hands-on technical work, reviewing…
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 is a home-based role open to candidates located in the EMEA or Americas regions, with required travel up to four times per year for internal company events.
The person in this position will combine management duties with hands-on technical work, reviewing architecture and code while guiding team members toward high performance. Canonical builds an open-source observability stack designed for Kubernetes, providing automated metrics, logging, telemetry, alerting, tracing, and profiling tools. Engineering managers at this organization maintain technical fluency in their team's programming languages and components, foster positive workplace culture, and collaborate closely with product managers and architects to set strategic goals.
This role suits experienced software professionals who possess strong technical backgrounds in Linux and open-source development, paired with a commitment to team mentorship and clear operational management. Canonical operates as a profitable, founder-led enterprise that supports a globally distributed workforce.
Responsibilities
- Manage a distributed team of engineers and oversee the observability product portfolio
- Organize and direct team processes to ensure objectives are met
- Conduct regular one-on-one meetings with team members and track team health indicators
- Review software code produced by other engineers and provide architectural leadership
- Interact with the open-source community and represent the organization at conferences
- Collaborate with architects, product managers, and other engineering managers to create delivery roadmaps
Requirements
- Professional software development experience
- Proficiency with Linux, with a preference for Debian or Ubuntu
- Willingness to travel up to four times a year for internal events
- Professional written and spoken English communication skills
- Strong interpersonal, curiosity, flexibility, accountability, and self-motivation attributes
Qualifications
- An exceptional academic track record from both high school and university
- Prior experience as an engineering manager building high-performance teams
- Professional Python development working knowledge
- Working knowledge of Go
- Prior open-source contribution experience
- Familiarity and interest in container technologies
- Understanding of observability and monitoring principles for software reliability
- Experience in designing and implementing observability solutions
Core Skills
Benefits
- Distributed work environment with twice-yearly team sprints in person
- Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year
- Annual compensation reviews
- Recognition rewards
- Annual holiday leave
- Maternity and paternity leave
- Team Member Assistance Program and Wellness Platform
- Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long-haul company events
- Performance-driven annual bonus or commission
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers are based only on the employer’s listing; where it doesn’t say, neither do we.
Where is this job located?
This role can be home-based in the EMEA or Americas regions, with required travel up to four times per year for internal events.
What are the core duties of the manager in this role?
The responsibilities include managing a distributed engineering team, conducting one-on-one meetings, reviewing code, guiding team architecture, interacting with the open-source community, and collaborating on engineering roadmaps.
Is salary specified in the posting?
No, the posting does not specify a concrete salary figure, though it notes that compensation is shaped by geographical location, experience, and performance, and includes performance-driven annual bonuses or commissions.
What qualifications are nice to have for this position?
Nice-to-have qualifications include prior engineering management experience, professional Python development, working knowledge of Go, open-source contribution history, container technology experience, and a background in designing observability solutions.
Sample Interview Questions
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