Remote opportunity at
CanonicalSenior/Staff/Principal Engineer
Canonical, a profitable and founder-led provider of open source software and operating systems like Ubuntu, is seeking Senior, Staff, and Principal Engineers to join various teams…
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About This Role
Canonical, a profitable and founder-led provider of open source software and operating systems like Ubuntu, is seeking Senior, Staff, and Principal Engineers to join various teams globally. The organization specializes in enterprise solutions spanning public cloud, data science, artificial intelligence, internet of things, and engineering innovation. Operating as a distributed company since its inception in 2004, the firm employs personnel across multiple countries and time zones with minimal office space,…
Job Description
Canonical, a profitable and founder-led provider of open source software and operating systems like Ubuntu, is seeking Senior, Staff, and Principal Engineers to join various teams globally. The organization specializes in enterprise solutions spanning public cloud, data science, artificial intelligence, internet of things, and engineering innovation. Operating as a distributed company since its inception in 2004, the firm employs personnel across multiple countries and time zones with minimal office space, gathering teams globally twice a year for strategic alignment.
In this position, engineers drive the design, architecture, and evolution of impactful open source software touching everything from the Linux kernel and system software to language runtimes, cloud automation, and distributed systems. Successful candidates partner closely with engineering leadership to take joint responsibility for department and company outcomes. The role entails writing high-quality code, guiding team direction, producing clear documentation, and engaging with the wider open-source community. Initial interviews help establish the best team match before advancing the application.
Responsibilities
- Lead the design and architecture of open source projects
- Write code in Golang, Rust, Python, C, C++, or TypeScript and React
- Collaborate actively within a globally distributed team structure
- Mentor, advise, and support colleagues through their career development
- Exhibit technical leadership internally and throughout open source communities
- Debug technical issues and author high-grade code fixes
- Contribute thorough technical documentation
- Travel internationally twice annually for company events
Requirements
- Undergraduate degree in Computer Science or a STEM field, or a compelling narrative for an alternative path
- Proven track record of strong academic performance from high school and university
- Demonstrated drive and history of going beyond expectations
- Experience in technical leadership, team motivation, and pacing
- Deep professional experience with at least one programming language among Go, Rust, Python, or C
- High attention to detail with a strong focus on software performance
- Professional written and spoken English communication skills
- Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility, curiosity, and accountability
- Ability to travel twice per year for up to two weeks at a time for company gatherings
Qualifications
- Familiarity with container technologies such as LXD, Docker, and Kubernetes
- Experience with highly concurrent and distributed systems
- Background in performance engineering including benchmarks, optimization, and kernel-to-web analysis
- Knowledge of software security practices including fuzzing, tabletop threat models, and audits
- Experience with build systems and toolchains including cross-compilation
- Familiarity with public clouds or OpenStack
- Experience with Debian or Ubuntu packaging
- Background in systems programming or scalable web services
- Familiarity with quality assurance and test engineering
- Web or Flutter front-end development experience
- Experience with REST and gRPC APIs
- Expertise in SQL and NoSQL data stores
Core Skills
Benefits
- Annual compensation reviews
- Performance-driven annual bonus or commission
- Annual holiday leave
- Maternity and paternity leave
- Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year
- Team Member Assistance Program and Wellness Platform
- Twice-yearly in-person team sprints
- 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 role remote?
Yes, Canonical operates as a remote-first company with opportunities available for senior engineers in every time zone.
What is the compensation for this position?
The posting does not specify a concrete salary, though compensation is shaped by geographical location, experience, and performance, and includes an annual performance-driven bonus or commission.
What programming languages are required?
Candidates must have deep experience with at least one of Go, Rust, Python, or C, while day-to-day coding may also involve C++ or TypeScript and React.
Are there travel requirements for this job?
Yes, team members travel twice a year for up to two weeks at a time to attend in-person company events and team sprints.
Sample Interview Questions
AI-generated questions tailored to this specific role — a preview of the full practice set.