Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation, and IoT. Our customers include the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with 1200+ colleagues in 75+ countries and very few office-based roles. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution.
The company is founder-led, profitable, and growing.
The roleWe build internal systems to the same standard as our public products: specified, tested, reviewed and observable. We want engineers who enjoy that rigour and take full ownership of what they ship.
What you will do- Design and deliver systems and platforms, including intuitive UIs
- Build Go services and APIs that connect many data sources
- Design data models and architecture for connected systems
- Turn data into clear dashboards and visualisations
- Build LLM-powered features into everyday workflows
- Write specs, estimate work and deliver to agreed criteria
- Set a high bar in code review, testing and documentation
- Partner with non-technical colleagues to turn needs into tools
- Mentor engineers and improve how the team works
You have deep expertise in at least two of:
- Back-end services in Go
- Modern front-end engineering [React/Svelte/TypeScript]
- Data engineering and analytics
- Data visualisation
- Applied LLM/ML in production workflows
You also:
- Treat testing, security, performance and accessibility as part of the job
- Handle sensitive people data with care
- Write clearly and work well in a distributed team
- Own your work from first spec to production
Nice to have: Python, Go, React, Svelte, PostgreSQL, Kubernetes, a history of building tools for HR, finance or operations.
The ideal candidate will use their passion for experimentation and analytics to build tomorrow’s tech organisation. This team will help us gain insights into the business and our talent pool, and use those insights to improve the experience of working at Canonical.
As a Workplace Engineer at Canonical, you need an analytical, data-driven mind and a passion to connect and make sense of interesting data from APIs. We focus heavily on the collection of metrics, optimising processes, and ways of working across Canonical. You need to demonstrate leadership, excellence, and consistency and will mentor others in the team.
What we offer colleaguesWe consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide. We revisit compensation annually (and more often for graduates and associates) to ensure we recognize outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. We provide all team members with additional benefits which reflect our values and ideals. We balance our programs to meet local needs and ensure fairness globally.
- Distributed work environment with twice-yearly team sprints in person
- Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year
- Annual compensation review
- Recognition rewards
- Annual holiday leave
- Maternity and paternity leave
- Team Member Assistance Program & Wellness Platform
- Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues
- Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long-haul company events
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 of software. 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. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since our 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.
Canonical is an equal opportunity employer
We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background create a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.
#LI-remote
Skills Required
- Deep expertise in at least two of back-end services in Go, modern front-end engineering with React, Svelte, or TypeScript, data engineering and analytics, data visualization, or applied LLM/ML in production workflows.
- Experience designing and delivering systems, platforms, intuitive user interfaces, services, APIs, data models, and architectures.
- Experience with testing, security, performance, accessibility, code review, and technical documentation.
- Ability to write specifications, estimate work, deliver against agreed criteria, and own work through production.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with nontechnical colleagues in a distributed team.
- Experience mentoring engineers and improving team practices.
- Python, Go, React, Svelte, PostgreSQL, Kubernetes, or experience building tools for HR, finance, or operations.
Canonical Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Canonical and has not been reviewed or approved by Canonical.
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Strong & Reliable Incentives — Performance-based bonuses/commissions and annual compensation reviews are part of the package. Feedback suggests variable-pay roles like sales and some senior positions can realize competitive total compensation.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Total time off is portrayed as generous, combining annual leave with local holidays and company-wide shutdowns. Feedback suggests this breadth is attractive for those who value extended breaks.
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Healthcare Strength — Core medical, dental, and vision coverage is available and consistently highlighted in role materials. Feedback suggests coverage quality is solid for a remote-first tech employer.
Canonical Insights
What We Do
We deliver open source to the world faster, more securely and more cost effectively than any other company. We develop Ubuntu, the world’s most popular enterprise Linux from cloud to edge, together with a passionate global community of 200,000 contributors. Ubuntu means 'humanity to others'. We chose it because it embodies the generosity at the heart of open source, the new normal for platforms and innovation. Together with a community of 200,000, we publish an operating system that runs from the tiny connected devices up to the world's biggest mainframes, the platform that everybody uses on the public cloud, and the workstation experience of the world's most productive developers. Secure and reliable, elegant and intuitive, and open for innovation - Ubuntu is the future of open source, which is why its the fastest growing Linux in the world despite already being the most widely deployed.
