Software Engineering Director

About the Software Engineering Director Role at Canonical

This is the general track for an Engineering Director at Canonical, designed for individuals confident in running projects that span multiple teams and time zones, while also hiring and managing engineering managers and staff engineers. Canonical's largest software products are built collaboratively by multiple teams under the guidance of a single Director of Engineering. Upon passing the initial interview rounds, discussions will focus on specific software products that align with your interests and expertise.

We believe that open source is on the cusp of fundamentally transforming the tech sector and enterprise computing. Our core mission is to make open source software easier, more reliable, and more secure for both deployment and development. We aspire to be the primary provider of software to the majority of companies globally. To achieve this ambition, our engineers are meticulously selected from a worldwide pool of applicants, chosen for their brilliance and unwavering motivation to advance open source to unprecedented levels. Our Engineering Directors play a pivotal role in setting the pace and direction, empowering teams to surpass their perceived capabilities and take immense pride in their achievements.

While this is a senior management position focused on managing managers, we expect Software Engineering Directors to possess exceptional development skills and the confidence to lead by example across all team activities. You must demonstrate a profound understanding of what constitutes high-quality code within the specific language and genre of your product—whether it's a web service, a system daemon, a desktop application, or a distributed system. Furthermore, you will be adept at driving rigorous testing and benchmarking efforts to enhance clarity around quality and performance within your teams. You will also confidently establish and uphold high expectations for work ethic, consistency, focus, and continuous learning.

Canonical offers director-level opportunities across a diverse array 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 specific domain of expertise is not explicitly listed above, but you believe it's relevant to Canonical's mission, we encourage you to apply. We will ensure your application is routed to the most suitable team.

What You'll Do

• Lead multiple engineering teams, encompassing talent from graduates to senior staff.
• Develop your engineering managers and actively uphold Canonical's distinctive culture.
• Recruit staff-level engineers for specialized roles, such as performance and quality.
• Provide coaching, mentorship, and constructive career development feedback.
• Identify and meticulously measure key indicators of team health and productivity.
• Ensure comprehensive delivery, including active community participation and documentation.
• Implement and rigorously defend disciplined engineering processes.
• Establish and track progress against benchmark goals for speed and efficiency.
• Represent your product effectively to stakeholders, partners, and customers.
• Develop and passionately evangelize superior engineering and organizational practices.
• Plan and diligently manage progress on agreed-upon goals and projects.
• Actively contribute as part of the leadership team, collaborating with other leaders.
• Collaborate closely with leads for related or interdependent products.

What We're Looking For in You

• An exceptional academic track record from both high school and university.
• An undergraduate degree in Computer Science or a STEM field, or a compelling narrative explaining an alternative path to expertise.
• Extensive management experience and the confidence to set and maintain high expectations.
• An outstanding Linux-based software engineering track record.
• Strong drive and a proven history of consistently exceeding expectations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Demonstrated public speaking and presentation abilities.
• A genuine passion for developing and growing people, with a track record to prove it.
• Significant experience leading, coaching, and mentoring software developers.
• Highly organized and capable of ensuring your team delivers timely, high-quality results.
• Well-organized, self-starting, and consistently able to deliver to schedule.
• Professional demeanor when interacting with colleagues, partners, and the community.
• Advanced expertise within your primary engineering domain.
• Knowledgeable and passionate about the craft of software development.
• Solid experience working within an agile development environment.
• A demonstrated drive for continuous learning and self-improvement.
• Ability to build trust, foster strong relationships, and instill confidence.
• Result-oriented, with a strong personal drive to meet commitments.
• Ability to travel twice a year for company events, each lasting up to two weeks.

Additional Skills We Value

• Experience in a developer advocacy or community engagement role.
• Active participation and leadership within the open source community.
• Ops and system administration experience.
• Performance engineering and security experience.

What We Offer You

Canonical considers geographical location, experience, and performance when determining compensation globally. We conduct annual compensation reviews (and more frequently for graduates and associates) to ensure outstanding performance is recognized. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus. We provide all team members with additional benefits that reflect our values and ideals, balancing programs to meet local needs and ensure global fairness.

• 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.
• 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 leading the global movement towards open source. As the publisher of Ubuntu, one of the most vital open source projects and a foundational platform for AI, IoT, and the cloud, we are making a significant impact on the world daily. We recruit globally and maintain exceptionally high standards for individuals joining our company. We demand excellence, as success requires us 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, offering challenges to think differently, work smarter, acquire new skills, and elevate your performance.

Key skills/competency

• Engineering Leadership
• Software Development
• Team Management
• Mentoring
• Agile Methodologies
• Linux Ecosystem
• Open Source Contribution
• Technical Strategy
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Quality Assurance