Ubuntu Software Engineer

We are hiring engineers to work across the breadth of our Ubuntu Engineering organisation - engineers who care deeply for quality, performance and resilience in software, engineers who are just as comfortable with designing and engineering new software as they are with packaging, integrating, testing and shipping the incredible catalog of open source software provided by the Ubuntu repositories.

Our engineers integrate the freshest open source software, provide robust upgrade paths and engineer the future of Ubuntu. Ubuntu is not just the world's most deployed open source operating system, it's a platform that enables innovation for millions of users across the globe. Our community represents the full breadth of the developer experience; from students, hobbyists and freelancers to high performance engineering and creative teams in corporate and academic environments.

The four key teams that ship Ubuntu are:

• Foundations: maintaining foundational software: architectures, package managers, compilers, toolchains, bootloaders, filesystems and core utilities
• Server: leading the design, evolution and future of our Ubuntu Server distribution
• Desktop: driving Ubuntu Desktop, our future immutable desktop: Ubuntu Core Desktop, WSL, gaming technology, and a suite of modern applications for the desktop crafted with Flutter
• Debcrafters: a new team responsible for the forward movement, maintenance and overall health of the Ubuntu archive: one of the most abundant repositories of open source software available today

Bring your existing expertise and learn new skills by working on one of the most prolific pieces of open source software. As an engineer working on Ubuntu you could work on any or all of the following categories:

• Development: design, build and ship new foundational systems software and applications in Rust, Go, Flutter, and Python
• Architecture: engineer the integration of open source from boot firmware to cloud applications deployment
• Packaging: a combination of Debian and Snap packaging to ship software in the distribution
• Automation: build and maintain the machinery responsible for building, testing and shipping Ubuntu
• Distro Engineering: the maintenance and evolution of a Linux distribution and its repositories

This application track is suitable for those at the mid point in their career but perhaps not quite at the Manager/Lead level, with relevant skills to contribute to Ubuntu.

At Canonical, you will have the opportunity to engage with and contribute to the broader open source community. We're looking for individuals who can help build a thriving community and contribute with enthusiasm and precision to a broad range of technologies.

Location: We have remote roles open in every time zone.

Based on the first round of interviews, we identify specific teams where you might be an excellent fit and conduct second-round interviews with those teams. Our engineers are:

• Designing, building and shipping software in Rust, Go and Python
• Packaging, integrating, testing and uploading open source software to the Ubuntu repositories
• Debugging system-level issues and delivering robust solutions
• Authoring and improving technical and community documentation
• Contributing to upstream and neighboring open source projects
• Collaborating as part of a globally distributed team
• Mentoring their colleagues to build skills and understanding
• Developing and improving processes to more efficiently fulfill our goals

• 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
• At least 2 to 4 years of professional software engineering experience post University
• Drive and a track record of going above and beyond expectations
• A demonstrated passion for open source software
• Significant experience with Rust, Go, Python, Flutter or C/C++
• Professional written and spoken English
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to travel twice a year, for company events up to two weeks each

• Experience with Linux distributions and distribution engineering
• Experience with software packaging and distribution mechanisms
• Understanding of build systems and toolchains, including for cross-compilation
• Performance or Security Engineering experience

Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open source projects and the platform for AI, IoT and the cloud, we are changing the world on a daily basis. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence - in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do. Canonical has been a remote-first company since its inception in 2004. Working here is a step into the future, and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.