Information Systems - Open Source Technical Architect - remote job

Canonical is hiring a Information Systems - Open Source Technical Architect. The role sits in IT and programming and is fully remote. The company hires candidates based in Europe.

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 for global enterprises and technology markets. Our flagship product, Ubuntu, is widely utilized in cutting-edge initiatives like public cloud, data science, AI, engineering, and IoT. Our client base includes leading public cloud and silicon providers, as well as industry leaders across various sectors. As a company, we champion global collaboration, with a diverse workforce of over 1,200 colleagues spread across more than 80 countries, with minimal office-centric roles. Our teams gather for in-person meetings two to four times a year in interesting locations around the world to discuss strategy and execution. Canonical is independently owned, profitable, and growing. We are seeking an Information Systems Architect to establish best practices in infrastructure as code on a global scale. Join us to advance the state of the art and shape the infrastructure behind millions of devices running Ubuntu. The Information Systems (IS) team oversees all IT operations at Canonical, including the infrastructure for building, packaging, and distributing Ubuntu globally. As the IS architect, you will be responsible for designing hardware and software implementation from PCI lanes to CDN and everything in between. Our aim is to be a benchmark operation, leveraging the latest capabilities in Ubuntu and open-source technologies, with the most advanced operating principles. Your decisions will impact the Ubuntu user experience for millions of users and influence how Canonical’s engineers interact with compute and network resources in a DevOps setting. As the IS Architect, you will have the unique opportunity to enhance Canonical products and the open-source technologies they are based on. You will lead System Reliability Engineers (SRE) and Data Center Engineers (DCE) to adopt best practices and make informed choices on technology in all aspects of cloud infrastructure and services. You will coach the IS team on automation, reliability, operational/technical scalability, network infrastructure, and security. This is a remote position, with two annual in-person meetings totaling approximately four weeks per year. Location: This role is based remotely within the EMEA region. The role involves:

* Defining, gaining consensus, and implementing a comprehensive vision for a top-tier internal cloud

* Establishing, maintaining, and updating the technical design roadmap and guidelines for SREs within IS, with the goal of enhancing reliability, resilience, operational scalability, and technical scalability

* Collaborating with cloud-ops software development teams to provide input on roadmap, requirements, and prioritization to build a world-class, highly standardized, and automated operation

* Providing IS management with input and advice on technology, reliability, resilience, and business cases

* Guiding technical choices to implement solutions as self-service products, ensuring scalable operation

* Collaborating with product security and operations security to establish best practices and promptly address new threats

* Automating operations for global use, considering the complexities of distributed systems

* Collaborating with development teams to design service architecture, documentation, playbooks, policies, and operational procedures

* Analyzing incidents and events, identifying root causes, and making structural improvements to minimize their recurrence

What we seek in you:

* Exceptional academic credentials, including a strong background in both high school and university

* A relevant undergraduate degree or a compelling alternative path

* Confidence to confidently express ideas, exchange feedback, and share insights without hesitation

* A history of exceeding expectations to achieve outstanding results

* In-depth knowledge of cloud computing concepts, technologies, and operations

* Practical experience with Linux networking, routing, and firewalls, internet transit, and large-scale networking

* Experience handling significant production outages, incident response, and postmortems

* A passion for developing, sharing, and maintaining enterprise open-source software solutions

* Effective communication in English, both in writing and through video or voice calls

* Familiarity with and passion for open-source, particularly Ubuntu or Debian

Nice-to-have skills:

* Modern software engineering background (peer-review, unit testing, SCM, CI/CD, Agile)

* Hands-on experience managing enterprise Linux servers at scale

What we offer:

We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in determining compensation on a global scale. We review compensation annually (more frequently for graduates and associates) to recognize outstanding performance. In addition to a competitive base salary, we provide a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. We offer a variety of benefits that reflect our values and goals, tailored to local needs and ensuring fairness worldwide.

* A flexible remote work environment with twice-yearly in-person team sprints

* A personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year

* Annual performance reviews

* Recognition rewards

* Annual holiday leave

* Maternity and paternity leave

* Employee Assistance Program

* Opportunities to travel to new locations to meet colleagues

* Priority Pass, and travel upgrades for long-haul company events

About Canonical: Canonical is a trailblazing tech firm at the forefront of the global shift to open-source software. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most significant open-source projects and the platform for AI, IoT, and the cloud, we are transforming the software landscape. We recruit globally and set high standards for our team members. We expect excellence, as success requires being the best at what we do. Since its inception in 2004, most colleagues at Canonical have worked remotely. Joining us means stepping into the future, where you will be challenged to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and elevate your performance. Canonical is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background creates a better work environment and better products. We welcome colleagues of all identities and will give your application fair consideration.