
Opportunity at
CanonicalSoftware Architect - Containers / Virtualisation
Canonical, the publisher of the Ubuntu operating system, seeks a Software Architect to lead the design and evolution of Canonical LXD and MicroCloud. Canonical develops open-source…
Career Tools
About This Role
Canonical, the publisher of the Ubuntu operating system, seeks a Software Architect to lead the design and evolution of Canonical LXD and MicroCloud. Canonical develops open-source software utilized globally in public cloud, IoT, data science, and artificial intelligence environments. Operating largely as a distributed organization, the enterprise enables employees to work remotely. In this position, the selected individual will guide the architecture for LXD, a Golang system container and virtual…
Job Description
Canonical, the publisher of the Ubuntu operating system, seeks a Software Architect to lead the design and evolution of Canonical LXD and MicroCloud. Canonical develops open-source software utilized globally in public cloud, IoT, data science, and artificial intelligence environments. Operating largely as a distributed organization, the enterprise enables employees to work remotely.
In this position, the selected individual will guide the architecture for LXD, a Golang system container and virtual machine orchestrator, alongside MicroCloud, which integrates LXD with OVN and Ceph to establish cluster-scale cloud infrastructure. The role suits an experienced engineer possessing a background in C and Golang, coupled with technical leadership skills capable of directing a team to deliver reliable, high-performance products. Responsibilities span low-level kernel development down to high-level management tools, making it an ideal opportunity for a professional eager to influence modern cloud computing technologies.
Canonical values professional execution, strong communication, and continuous learning. Team members collaborate across international borders while gathering in person globally a couple of times each year. The organization operates as a profitable, growing, founder-led enterprise maintaining high performance and quality standards across its distributed workforce.
Responsibilities
- Lead the architecture and ongoing development of Canonical LXD and MicroCloud
- Mentor, advise, and support the career progression of fellow colleagues
- Write code using Golang and C
- Perform code reviews for output generated by other engineers
- Maintain product security and optimal performance
- Provide technical leadership within the company and related communities
- Participate in global travel twice per year for company events while working remotely
Requirements
- Experience developing in Go and C
- Familiarity with storage, networking, and virtualization
- Background in container technologies
- Knowledge of concurrent, distributed systems
- Familiarity with Linux, with a preference for Ubuntu or Debian
- Technical leadership abilities alongside team motivation and direction skills
Qualifications
- An exceptional academic track record from both high school and university
- An undergraduate degree in Computer Science or a STEM field
Core Skills
Benefits
- Distributed work environment with twice-yearly in-person team sprints
- Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 annually
- Annual compensation reviews
- Recognition rewards
- Annual holiday leave
- Maternity and paternity leave
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Travel upgrades and Priority Pass for long-haul company events
- Performance-driven annual bonus or commission
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a remote position?
Yes, this is a home-based position available in EMEA and the Americas, with very few office-based roles at the company.
What technologies are required for this role?
Applicants must have experience with Go and C, container technologies, storage, networking, virtualization, and concurrent distributed systems.
Does the posting specify the salary?
No, the job posting does not specify the salary amount, though it notes that compensation is shaped by geographical location, experience, and performance, and reviewed annually.
Are there travel requirements for this job?
Yes, the role entails global travel twice annually for 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.