Remote opportunity at
CanonicalUbuntu Package Management - Engineering Manager
This full-time, remote Engineering Manager role leads the package management team inside Ubuntu Foundations at Canonical, a company that publishes Ubuntu. The role is open in…
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About This Role
This full-time, remote Engineering Manager role leads the package management team inside Ubuntu Foundations at Canonical, a company that publishes Ubuntu. The role is open in every time zone and reports to the engineering director for Ubuntu Foundations. The team builds the package-handling layer that sits under every Ubuntu system, such as APT and dpkg, along with firmware and driver management. The team's mission is to supply the technology that…
Job Description
This full-time, remote Engineering Manager role leads the package management team inside Ubuntu Foundations at Canonical, a company that publishes Ubuntu. The role is open in every time zone and reports to the engineering director for Ubuntu Foundations. The team builds the package-handling layer that sits under every Ubuntu system, such as APT and dpkg, along with firmware and driver management.
The team's mission is to supply the technology that lets Ubuntu machines be installed, kept current, upgraded and run across their full lifespan. The manager defines the technical vision and roadmap, takes part in design reviews, and pushes for strong results on performance, reliability, security and upkeep. The role balances innovation with the stability expected from a widely used Linux distribution.
People leadership is central to the role. The manager guides a group of experienced engineers, mentors them to grow their technical leadership, and encourages ownership, teamwork and steady improvement across the group. Planning and delivery span several Ubuntu release cycles, with attention to test tooling, release quality and day-to-day dependability.
The manager works with other Ubuntu Engineering groups, such as Release Engineering, Launchpad and the Desktop and Server teams, along with Security, OEM and Product, and works alongside Debian and upstream contributors, and the open-source community. The posting asks for a computer science or STEM background, solid software engineering and system design skills, and experience leading engineers including people management. Experience with Linux distribution technology or package management is also required, and travel twice yearly is expected.
Responsibilities
- Set the technical direction and roadmap for Ubuntu package management and lifecycle technologies
- Join design reviews and major technical calls across the Ubuntu ecosystem
- Guide a group of engineers, including coaching and performance reviews
- Plan and deliver improvements across several Ubuntu release cycles
- Raise the bar on test automation, release quality and day-to-day dependability
- Build partnerships across Ubuntu Engineering, plus Debian and upstream groups
Requirements
- A bachelor-level degree in computer science or a STEM field, or a clearly explained alternative path
- Solid background in software engineering, with system design skills
- Track record leading engineers, covering people management and coaching
- Experience with Linux distribution technology, package management or software distribution infrastructure
- Solid grasp of systems software and OS architecture
- Strong spoken and written communication
- Able to function well across a worldwide engineering group
- Travel for company events twice a year, each up to two weeks
Qualifications
- Exposure to package indexes, archives or release engineering workflows
- Past work on Debian, Ubuntu or related open-source infrastructure is a plus
- Background in performance, reliability or security work
Core Skills
Benefits
- Distributed work with twice-yearly in-person team sprints
- Priority Pass access and upgrades on long-haul trips to company events
- A USD 2,000 yearly allowance for personal learning and development
- Annual compensation review and recognition rewards
- Maternity and paternity leave, plus annual holiday leave
- Employee assistance program and a wellness platform
- Chances to visit new locations and meet colleagues in person
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers are based only on the employer’s listing; where it doesn’t say, neither do we.
Where is this role based?
The posting says remote roles are open in every time zone.
Who does this role report to?
The role reports to the engineering director for Ubuntu Foundations.
What experience is required?
Candidates need solid skills spanning software engineering plus system design, a record of leading engineers, and know-how in Linux distribution or package management technology.
What compensation is listed?
The posting does not give a salary figure. It says pay depends on geographic location, experience and performance, and that an annual bonus may apply.
Sample Interview Questions
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