Junior Ubuntu Software Engineer

About Canonical and Ubuntu

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems, with its flagship platform, Ubuntu, widely adopted in breakthrough enterprise initiatives across public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation, and IoT. Serving global leaders in public cloud, silicon, and various industries, Canonical is a pioneer in global distributed collaboration, boasting over 1200 colleagues across 75+ countries with very few office-based roles. Teams gather two to four times annually in diverse global locations for strategy and execution alignment. Canonical is a founder-led, profitable, and growing company.

Ubuntu is not merely the world's most deployed open source operating system; it's a dynamic platform enabling innovation for millions of users worldwide, spanning students, hobbyists, freelancers, to high-performance engineering and creative teams in corporate and academic settings.

The Role: Junior Ubuntu Software Engineer

We are seeking Junior Ubuntu Software Engineers to join our Ubuntu Engineering organization. We are looking for individuals who are passionate about software quality, performance, and resilience, and who are equally adept at designing and engineering new software as they are at packaging, integrating, testing, and shipping the vast catalog of open source software from the Ubuntu repositories. Our engineers are crucial in integrating the latest open source software, ensuring robust upgrade paths, and engineering the future of Ubuntu. This junior career path is ideal for both new graduates and early-career engineers looking to build a career in open source.

Key Engineering Teams

As a Junior Ubuntu Software Engineer, you will contribute to one of the four core teams that ship Ubuntu:

• Foundations: Maintaining foundational software, including 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, focusing on our future immutable desktop, Ubuntu Core Desktop, WSL, gaming technology, and modern applications crafted with Flutter.
• Debcrafters: A new team dedicated to the forward movement, maintenance, and overall health of the Ubuntu archive, one of the most abundant open source software repositories available today.

Areas of Work

Bring your existing expertise and develop new skills by working on one of the most prolific pieces of open source software. As an engineer working on Ubuntu, you may engage in any or all of the following:

• Development: Design, build, and ship new foundational systems software and applications using Rust, Go, Flutter, and Python.
• Architecture: Engineer the seamless integration of open source components from boot firmware to cloud applications deployment.
• Packaging: Utilize a combination of Debian and Snap packaging to ship software within the distribution.
• Automation: Build and maintain the infrastructure responsible for building, testing, and shipping Ubuntu.
• Distro Engineering: Contribute to the ongoing maintenance and evolution of a Linux distribution and its repositories.

If you possess skills in these areas, or other relevant skills, and are eager to embark on an open source career, this role is for you. At Canonical, you will have the opportunity to engage with and contribute to the broader open source community, building a thriving community with enthusiasm and precision.

Responsibilities

Our engineers are expected to:

• Design, build, and ship software in Rust, Go, Python, and C/C++.
• Package, integrate, test, and upload open source software to the Ubuntu repositories.
• Debug issues and deliver robust solutions.
• Author and improve technical and community documentation.
• Contribute to upstream and neighboring open source projects.
• Collaborate effectively as part of a globally distributed team.
• Continuously learn and progress their technical and professional skills.

What We Are Looking For In You

• 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.
• Drive and a track record of exceeding expectations.
• A passion for open source software.
• 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.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Familiarity with Linux distributions.
• Familiarity with system debugging tools and techniques.
• Familiarity with automation tooling and CI/CD systems.
• Experience contributing to open source projects.

What We Offer You

Canonical offers a comprehensive compensation package that considers geographical location, experience, and performance, reviewed annually. In addition to base pay, a performance-driven annual bonus is provided. Benefits include:

• Distributed work environment with twice-yearly in-person team sprints.
• 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.

Key skills/competency

• Software Engineering
• Open Source Software
• Linux Distributions
• Ubuntu
• Rust
• Go
• Python
• C/C++
• Packaging (Debian/Snap)
• System Debugging