Engineering Manager - Ubuntu Desktop Apps - remote job

Canonical is hiring a Engineering Manager - Ubuntu Desktop Apps - a lead role, which means responsibility for a team or a direction. The role sits in IT and programming and is fully remote. The company places no restriction on where the candidate lives, so you can apply from anywhere.

The employer did not publish a figure; that is settled at interview. The advert sets no condition on working hours.

This vacancy passed an automated check: the list excludes any advert requiring a foreign work permit, visa sponsorship, a particular citizenship, or residence in a specific country.

Canonical is a leading provider of open-source software and operating systems, serving the global enterprise and technology markets. Our flagship platform, Ubuntu, powers breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, artificial intelligence, engineering innovation, and Internet of Things solutions. Our clientele includes the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, as well as industry leaders in various sectors. As a pioneer in global distributed collaboration, Canonical has over 1,200 colleagues from 75+ countries, with few traditional office roles. Teams convene in person twice to four times annually in diverse locations worldwide to align on strategic and operational goals.

Canonical is a profitable and growing company, founded and led by its visionary leader.

Our Ubuntu Engineering teams are responsible for developing and maintaining the operating system platform used by millions of developers, enterprises, device makers, cloud providers, and open-source communities across the globe.

Job Location: We offer remote positions in every time zone.

About the Team The Ubuntu Foundations Package Management team, a part of the broader Ubuntu Foundations organization, develops and maintains the software management infrastructure essential to every Ubuntu system. The team oversees key technologies such as APT, dpkg, firmware management, and driver management, which are fundamental to the installation, maintenance, and upgrade experience of Ubuntu systems.

The team's mission is to ensure the technologies that manage software, drivers, firmware, and upgrades across Ubuntu systems are reliable, stable, and continuously evolving.

Role Overview We are seeking a Software Engineering Manager to lead the Ubuntu Foundations Package Management team. This role combines technical leadership with active engineering involvement, aiming to guide and support a team of experienced engineers who develop and maintain critical Ubuntu platform technologies.

Reporting to the Ubuntu Foundations Engineering Director, you will collaborate closely with other Ubuntu Engineering teams, such as Desktop, Server, Security, Release Engineering, Launchpad, Debcrafters, OEM, and Product.

Responsibilities Technical Leadership

* Define and champion the technical vision and roadmap for Ubuntu's package management and system lifecycle platform. * Participate in design reviews and key technical decisions impacting the entire Ubuntu ecosystem. * Promote high standards for performance, reliability, security, and maintainability.

Team Leadership

* Lead and support a team of engineers responsible for key Ubuntu platform technologies. * Mentor and grow engineers, helping them expand their technical leadership, ownership, and organizational impact. * Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Delivery and Engineering Excellence

* Plan and deliver improvements across multiple Ubuntu release cycles. * Balance innovation with stability, compatibility, and long-term maintainability. * Enhance test automation, release quality, and operational reliability.

Collaboration and Community

* Build strong partnerships across Ubuntu Engineering, including Release Engineering, Launchpad, Desktop, Server, Security, OEM, and Product teams. * Collaborate with Debian, upstream projects, and the Ubuntu open-source community.

Required Qualifications * Exceptional academic credentials from high school and university. * Undergraduate degree in Computer Science or a relevant STEM field, or a compelling narrative about your alternative path. * Strong background in software engineering and system design. * Experience leading engineering teams, including people management, coaching, and performance development. * Experience developing or operating Linux distribution technologies, package management systems, or software distribution infrastructure. * In-depth understanding of systems software and operating system architecture. * Excellent written and verbal communication skills. * Ability to work effectively in a distributed engineering team. * Ability to travel for company events up to two weeks twice a year.

Desirable Qualifications * Familiarity with package repositories, archives, or release engineering processes. * Experience contributing to Debian, Ubuntu, or other open-source infrastructure projects. * Performance, reliability, or security engineering experience.

If you are passionate about this role and our mission, we encourage you to apply, even if you do not meet every qualification.

In the first 3 months, you will:

* Establish strong relationships with the team and stakeholders across Ubuntu Engineering. * Gain a deep understanding of Ubuntu package management, update flows, archive interactions, and release processes. * Identify key improvement opportunities in reliability, test coverage, engineering processes, and product quality.

In the first 6 to 12 months, you will:

* Establish strong partnerships with stakeholders across Ubuntu Engineering. * Grow the team and enhance the overall level of engineering excellence, ownership, and technical leadership. * Improve roadmap clarity, planning, and execution across the team's portfolio. * Deliver meaningful improvements to Ubuntu's package management and system lifecycle platform.

What We Offer We consider geographical location, experience, and performance when shaping compensation worldwide. We review 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. 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. * Employee Assistance Programme. * Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues. * Priority Pass, and travel upgrades for long haul company events.

About Canonical

Canonical is a leading tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company behind Ubuntu, one of the most significant open-source projects and the foundation for artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and the cloud, we are driving change in the world daily. We recruit globally and set a high standard for candidates joining the company. Excellence is expected - to succeed, we must 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, challenging you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.

Canonical is an equal opportunity employer. We foster a workplace free from discrimination, embracing diversity to create a better work environment and better products.