Last seen September 14, 2026
Posted April 11, 2026 · 156 days ago
Est. expiry May 16, 2026

Software Engineering Director

Global
RemoteFull-time, Director
Job description

This is the general track for Engineering Director at Canonical, apply here if you are confident to run a project which spans teams and time zones, hiring and managing engineering managers and staff engineers. Canonical’s largest software products are built by multiple teams working together under a single director of engineering. Once you have passed the first round of interviews we will discuss specific software products which would be a good fit for your interests. We believe that open source is just starting to transform the tech sector and enterprise compute. Our goal is to make open source easier, more reliable and more secure for deployment and development. We strive to be the provider of ‘most software to most companies’. To deliver on that ambition, our engineers are carefully selected from the applicants across the globe. We select for brilliance and motivation to take open source to the next level. Our engineering directors set the pace and the direction to help teams achieve more than they realised they could, and feel proud of the result. Even though this is a senior management position, managing managers, we expect Engineering Directors to be outstanding developers with the confidence to lead by example across the full range of activities in their teams. You need to understand what great code looks like in the language and genre of your product - whether that is a web service, or a system daemon, or a desktop application, or a distributed system. You’ll need to know how to drive testing and benchmarking to improve the clarity in your teams around quality and performance. You’ll also need to be confident to set and defend high expectations of work ethic, consistency, focus and learning. We have director level roles across a wide range of engineering domains, including: Python and Golang, C / C++ / Rust, Data infrastructure, HTML / CSS / JavaScript / Typescript / React, Flutter, Distro packaging and systems, SAAS and web microservices, Kernel, Servers, Graphics, Browser and Desktop, Silicon enablement and embedded devices, Product Security. If your domain of expertise isn’t listed above, yet you feel it’s relevant to Canonical, then feel free to apply anyway. We will route you to the most suitable team. Location: The role is remote, with positions available in all time zones. It includes a requirement for global travel for twice per year, for trips up to two weeks long. What you’ll do Lead multiple teams of engineers, ranging from graduate to senior Develop your engineering managers and maintain Canonical culture Hire staff level engineers for specific roles like performance and quality Coach, mentor, and offer career development feedback Identify and measure indicators of team health and productivity Ensure rounded delivery including community participation and docs Implement disciplined engineering processes and defend them Set and measure progress against benchmark goals for speed and efficiency Represent your product to stakeholders, partners, and customers Develop and evangelise great engineering and organisational practices Plan and manage progress on agreed goals and projects Be an active part of the leadership team, collaborating with other leaders Collaborate with leads for related or dependent products. What we’re looking for in you 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. Extensive management experience and confidence to set high expectations. Outstanding Linux based software engineering track record. Drive and a track record of going above-and-beyond expectations. Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Public speaking and presentation skills. A love of developing and growing people and a track record of it. Experience in leading, coaching and mentoring software developers. Organised and able to ensure your team delivers timely, high quality results. Well-organised, self-starting and able to deliver to schedule. Professional manner interacting with colleagues, partners, and community. You have advanced expertise in your own domain. You are knowledgeable and passionate about software development. You have solid experience working in an agile development environment. You have a demonstrated drive for continual learning. Builds trust, relationships and confidence. Result-oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitments. Ability to travel twice a year, for company events up to two weeks each. Additional skills we value Experience in a developer advocacy or community role. Open source community engagement and leadership. Ops and system administration experience. Performance engineering and security experience. What we offer you We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide. We revisit compensation annually (and more often for graduates and associates) to ensure we recognise 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 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. 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.

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Requirements
  • Exceptional academic record from high school and university
  • Undergraduate degree in Computer Science or STEM or equivalent experience
  • Extensive management experience
  • Outstanding Linux software engineering track record
  • Drive and motivation to exceed expectations
  • Excellent English communication skills
  • Public speaking and presentation skills
  • Experience in leading, coaching, and mentoring developers
  • Organized and results-oriented
  • Self-starting and reliable
  • Professional interaction skills
  • Advanced domain expertise
  • Passion for software development
  • Experience in agile environments
  • Continuous learner
  • Trust-building and relationship skills
  • Result-driven with commitment focus
  • Ability to travel twice a year for up to two weeks
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Canonical · 232 open roles
Top locations: Remote - Global · 157 · Remote - EMEA · 78 · Remote - Europe · 30+8 other locations
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Current open roles at Canonical on JobCrawls
LocationActive listings
Remote - Global157
Remote - EMEA78
Remote - Europe30
Remote - Americas17
Remote - Worldwide13
London, United Kingdom3
Remote - APAC2
Remote - Middle East1
Remote - AMER1
London, UK1
Remote - Africa1
Current role mix at Canonical on JobCrawls
Role typeActive listings
Software Engineer35
Engineering Manager14
Manager8
Product Manager8
Sales Development Representative6
Product Marketing Manager4
Linux Kernel Engineer4
Site Reliability Engineer3
Marketing Manager3
UX Designer3
Graduate Software Engineer3
Partner Sales Manager3
Software Engineering Manager3
System Software Engineer2
Design Manager2
Engineering Director2
Partner Sales Director2
Accountant2
Talent Scientist2
Security Operations Engineer2
Sales Representative2
Sales Director2
Channel Partner Sales Executive2
Customer Success Manager2
HR Generalist2
Data Infrastructure Engineer2
Enterprise Customer Success Manager2
Golang Software Engineer2
Treasury Analyst2
Content Marketing Manager2
Embedded Linux Engineer2
Security Engineer1
Revenue Accountant1
Communications Specialist1
Embedded Linux Consultant1
Developer Relations Engineer1
MLOps Engineer1
Organisational Development Practitioner1
Project Manager1
Senior Communications Specialist1
Support Engineer1
Security Operations1
Information Systems Architect1
Linux Systems Engineer1
Junior Data Engineer1
Golang Engineer1
Ubuntu Core Software Engineer1
Distributed Systems Testing1
Revenue Accounting Manager1
Sales Operations Analyst1
Networking Software Engineer1
Alliances Field Engineer1
Telecom Account Executive1
Software Alliances Director1
Technical Writer1
Threat Intelligence Lead1
Sales1
Security Software Engineer1
Web Engineer1
Technical & Reporting Accountant1
Enterprise Sales / Alliances1
Junior Ads Specialist1
IBM Global Alliance Director1
NetSuite Engineer1
Senior Search Lead1
Financial Controller1
Embedded IoT / Edge Solutions Sales1
Office Administrator1
Marketing Specialist1
Design Researcher1
Alliances & Channels Leader1
Systems & Controls Accountant1
Project Manager - Ubuntu Embedded Systems1
OpenStack Engineering Manager1
Senior Communications Manager1
Linux Desktop Support1
Cloud Engineering Manager1
Python Engineer1
Software Engineering Director1
Marketing Automation Manager1
IoT Data Engineer1
ISV Technical Alliance Manager1
Server error1
Legal1
Growth Engineer1
Recruitment Lead1
Linux Cryptography and Security Engineer1
Senior HR Generalist1
User Science1
Kernel Test Engineer1
Campaign Manager1
Cloud Infrastructure Engineer1
Microservices Engineer1
Kernel Build Automation Engineer1
Global Payroll Manager1
Site Reliability / Gitops Engineer1
Cloud Solutions Architect1
Linux Platform Integration1
Accounts Receivable Clerk1
Sustaining Operations Engineer1
Current role-level mix at Canonical on JobCrawls
Role levelActive listings
Mid-Level109
Senior61
Manager59
Junior22
Director15
Intern7
Executive4

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