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Head of Security Operations

Remote, Home based - Worldwide·Added 2 months ago (last checked 15 Oct)

Canonical

232 open roles

Overview

Work mode
Remote (Home based - Worldwide)
English
Required
Experience
Senior level
Education
University degree

Visa options

  • The ad doesn’t mention sponsorship

    No sponsorship mentioned, and this kind of work is rarely sponsored in Spain.

  • May fit the digital nomad visa

    A remote job for a company outside Spain: you apply yourself, no sponsor needed. It asks for about €2,849 a month in remote income.

More jobs that may fit the digital nomad visa

Skills

The role

This global leadership role in cyber security is to manage the Security Operations (SecOps) team responsible for design, implementation and evolution of Canonical security practices, techniques, tools, systems and policies. The team is the primary owner of strategy and practices that determine how Canonical secures its data, internal infrastructure and build processes. They are responsible for assuring the security and integrity of our own infrastructure and product deployments. They design and implement technical security controls that ensure security threats are automatically identified, contained and remediated. The team will also contribute ideas and requirements for Canonical product security, improving the resilience and robustness of all Ubuntu customers and users subject to cyber attack.

As a leader on cyber security in the company, the SecOps team manager will collaborate with our Organisational Learning and Development team to develop playbooks and facilitate SecOps training across Canonical. They will operate in a wider security organisation, run a high performing security team and improve Canonical's security posture. They will lead initiatives to integrate the team's insights into Canonical's broader software development process.

While this is a management position, we expect managers to be expert practitioners, able to lead by example, contribute at the highest level, and assess work based on their own professional experience and skill. Candidates should have deep, hands-on expertise with a range of open source and proprietary security tooling and practices, which they can integrate into a holistic next generation security solution across the breadth of Canonical's interests.

The SecOps team's mission is not only to secure Canonical, but also to contribute to the security of the wider open source ecosystem. They might share knowledge through public presentations and industry events, and share threat intelligence with the wider community or represent Canonical in sector-specific governance bodies.

This role reports to the CISO.

What you'll do

  • Hire and mentor a team of outstanding technical security professionals
  • Define Canonical's SecOps security standards and playbooks
  • Own and drive the architecture and design of the SOC
  • Analyse and improve Canonical's security architecture
  • Evaluate, select and implement new security tools and practices
  • Identify, contain and guide the remediation of security threats and cyber attacks
  • Grow the presence and thought leadership of Canonical SecOps practice
  • Contribute to open source threat intelligence initiatives
  • Drive threat modelling, table top exercises and other SecOps practices across Engineering, IS and Canonical
  • Develop Canonical SecOps learning and development materials
  • Publish blog posts, whitepapers and conference presentations
  • Identify, implement and track SecOps KPIs
  • Plan and deliver SecOps work in the framework of Canonical's agile engineering practice
  • Work with Security leadership to present information and influence change

What we are looking for

  • Proven track record of mitigating with advanced threat actors and nation state threats
  • Expert technical understanding of SOCs from the ground up
  • In depth knowledge of SOC architecture and design including strategies for logging, firewalls, network segmentation, honeypots etc
  • Someone who understands how the SOC works not just how to use it
  • Expert in Linux security
  • Ability to define, implement, automate and measure effective incident response playbooks
  • Knowledge of security architecture and market-leading security tools
  • Experience contributing to, and consuming, threat intelligence feeds
  • Experience in security risk management frameworks such as NIST CSF
  • An exceptional academic track record from both high school and university
  • Undergraduate degree in Computer Science or STEM, or a compelling narrative about your alternative path
  • Drive and a track record of going above-and-beyond expectations
  • Deep personal motivation to be at the forefront of technology security
  • Leadership and management ability
  • Excellent business English writing and presentation skills
  • Confidence to report security performance metrics with accountability for accuracy and completeness

Optional things we value

  • Experience in offensive or defensive security teams with hands-on ability
  • Experience with open source security tools
  • Experience with security standards such as ISO 27001
  • Experience with security posture management of corporate endpoitns

Hiring process

6 steps5 interviewsa task to doabout 3 months in all
  1. Application

  2. Written interview

    In your own time

    A written submission tailored to the role presenting your academic and professional accomplishments; you choose format and length, and two domain experts grade it.

  3. Psychometric assessment (GIA)

    Online test · 30–45 min

    A cognitive-ability test measuring aptitude, problem solving and speed of learning, required for all applicants.

  4. Technical assessment

    Not every role

    A domain-specific assessment for some roles, graded by domain experts and discussed in later interviews.

  5. Early stage interviews

    With future colleagues and stakeholders · 3 sessions

    Three interviews with future colleagues and stakeholders focused on technical and domain skills.

  6. Talent interview

    With Talent Science team

    Interview with the Talent Science team including a 10-minute Personality Profile Analysis; compensation is first discussed here.

  7. Late stage interviews

    With potential manager, Hiring Lead and senior stakeholders

    Meet your potential manager, the Hiring Lead and senior stakeholders; management and leadership candidates also meet the CEO.

  8. Offer and onboarding · With a Hiring Lead

  • After application review you get a personal dashboard showing your assessment and interview plan.
  • The written interview is submitted anonymously to reduce bias early on.
  • You may apply to a single job once, or to four different jobs, in any 180-day period.

About Canonical

Canonical is the publisher of Ubuntu, the world's most widely used open-source operating system for cloud, IoT, and enterprise environments. Founded in 2004, the company is a global leader in open-source software, providing secure, supported Ubuntu solutions to enterprises, developers, and device manufacturers. With a distributed workforce spanning over 80 countries, Canonical drives innovation in areas like AI, edge computing, and cloud-native technologies, making it a key player in the open-source ecosystem.

Canonical has a strong presence in Spain, with a significant number of open roles across engineering, product, marketing, and sales. The company is known for its fully remote-first culture, allowing employees to work from anywhere, including Spain. For international professionals, Canonical offers a unique opportunity to contribute to world-class open-source projects, collaborate with a global team, and enjoy flexible work arrangements. The company values autonomy, excellence, and a passion for open-source, making it an attractive employer for those seeking a dynamic, remote-friendly environment.

Industry
Cloud/Ubuntu
Founded
2004
Employees
1,000–5,000
Headquarters
London, UK

Good to know if you are moving

  • Canonical is a remote-first company, allowing employees to work from anywhere, including Spain, with no requirement to relocate to a central office.
  • The company offers a diverse, international work environment with colleagues from over 80 countries, providing a global perspective.
  • Canonical is a major contributor to open-source projects, offering opportunities to work on widely-used technologies like Ubuntu, Kubernetes, and OpenStack.
  • Employees often receive a competitive salary and benefits, including home office setup allowances and professional development opportunities.
  • The company values autonomy and self-motivation, making it ideal for professionals who thrive in a flexible, results-driven culture.
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