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CanonicalSoftware Engineer, Sustaining Engineering
Canonical operates as an enterprise open source software provider and publishes the Ubuntu operating system, which supports global technology initiatives spanning public cloud, data science, artificial…
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About This Role
Canonical operates as an enterprise open source software provider and publishes the Ubuntu operating system, which supports global technology initiatives spanning public cloud, data science, artificial intelligence, internet of things, and engineering. The organization functions globally with a distributed workforce across more than seventy-five countries, maintaining remote operations alongside international team gatherings. The enterprise seeks a Software Engineer for Sustaining Engineering to handle complex technological challenges across Linux-based infrastructures and…
Job Description
Canonical operates as an enterprise open source software provider and publishes the Ubuntu operating system, which supports global technology initiatives spanning public cloud, data science, artificial intelligence, internet of things, and engineering. The organization functions globally with a distributed workforce across more than seventy-five countries, maintaining remote operations alongside international team gatherings. The enterprise seeks a Software Engineer for Sustaining Engineering to handle complex technological challenges across Linux-based infrastructures and software stacks.
This position involves working across bare metal, virtualization technologies like KVM and LXC/LXD, container environments, storage systems including Ceph and Linux filesystems, and networking components. The successful candidate will investigate and resolve critical issues impacting enterprise customers and the broader Ubuntu ecosystem through upstream bug fixes, patches, and technical workarounds. Professionals with a strong foundation in Linux, open source development, and debugging tools will find an environment geared toward solving demanding technological problems.
The role requires active collaboration with field, support, and product engineering teams, alongside participation in upstream developer communities. Team members operate from home offices while accommodating occasional international travel for conferences and company sprints. The position suits individuals who possess deep technical versatility across multiple programming languages and layers of the technology stack above the kernel.
Responsibilities
- Resolve intricate technical issues involving Ubuntu, the Linux kernel, Ceph, OpenStack, Kubernetes, and other open source packages
- Collaborate closely with internal field, support, and product engineering teams
- Engage with upstream open source communities
- Create bug fixes, backport patches, and coordinate with upstream maintainers for integration
- Perform code reviews for contributions submitted by other engineers
- Apply technical judgement and manage priorities efficiently
- Take part in discussions aimed at refining internal workflows, documentation, and tooling
- Maintain clear and concise technical communication
Requirements
- Professional background as a software engineer
- Strong practical experience with Linux
- Demonstrated experience with at least one of Ceph, OpenStack, Kubernetes, or alternative cloud platforms
- Development-level proficiency in Python, Go, C, or C++ within Linux environments
- Debugging capability using tools such as gdb
- Familiarity with git version control repositories and branching workflows
- Availability to travel internationally up to four times annually for internal events
Qualifications
- Educational background in Computer Science, STEM fields, or related disciplines
- Exceptional academic history
- Familiarity with Ubuntu Linux userspace or kernel development
- Experience with QEMU/KVM and LXC/LXD
- Knowledge of PostgreSQL or MongoDB
- Experience with Debian packaging
- Familiarity with distributed systems architecture
Core Skills
Benefits
- Annual compensation reviews
- Performance-driven yearly bonus
- Annual holiday leave
- Maternity and paternity leave
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year
- Twice-yearly in-person team sprints
- Priority Pass for travel and long-haul travel upgrades during company events
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers are based only on the employer’s listing; where it doesn’t say, neither do we.
Is this position remote?
Yes, this is a remote role with team members distributed across all time zones. Employees work from home and travel internationally up to 10% of their time for team meetings and events.
What travel is required for this role?
The position requires international travel up to four times a year, or up to 10% of work time, to attend internal events, conferences, and team sprints.
What is the salary for this position?
The job posting does not specify a salary figure, though the employer considers geographical location, experience, and performance when determining compensation worldwide.
What programming languages are required?
Candidates need development-level experience with at least one of Python, Go, C, or C++ on Linux.
Sample Interview Questions
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