Junior Ubuntu Software Engineer

About Canonical

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation and IoT. Our customers include the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with 1200+ colleagues in 75+ countries and very few office‑based roles. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution.

The company is founder‑led, profitable and growing.

Role Overview

We are hiring junior engineers to work across the breadth of our Ubuntu Engineering organisation – engineers who care deeply for quality, performance and resilience in software, engineers who are just as comfortable designing and engineering new software as they are packaging, integrating, testing and shipping the incredible catalog of open source software provided by the Ubuntu repositories.

Our engineers integrate the freshest open source software, provide robust upgrade paths and engineer the future of Ubuntu. Ubuntu is not just the world's most deployed open source operating system, it's a platform that enables innovation for millions of users across the globe. Our community represents the full breadth of the developer experience; from students, hobbyists and freelancers to high‑performance engineering and creative teams in corporate and academic environments.

Location: We have remote roles open in every time zone.

Teams that Ship Ubuntu

• Foundations: maintaining foundational software – 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, our future immutable desktop – Ubuntu Core Desktop, WSL, gaming technology, and a suite of modern applications for the desktop crafted with Flutter
• Debcrafters: a new team responsible for the forward movement, maintenance and overall health of the Ubuntu archive – one of the most abundant repositories of open source software available today

Areas of Work

You could work on any or all of the following categories:

• Development: design, build and ship new foundational systems software and applications in Rust, Go, Flutter, and Python
• Architecture: engineer the integration of open source from boot firmware to cloud applications deployment
• Packaging: a combination of Debian and Snap packaging to ship software in the distribution
• Automation: build and maintain the machinery responsible for building, testing and shipping Ubuntu
• Distro Engineering: the maintenance and evolution of a Linux distribution and its repositories

Responsibilities

Based on the first round of interviews, we identify specific teams where you might be an excellent fit and conduct second‑round interviews with those teams. Our engineers are:

• Designing, building and shipping software in Rust, Go, Python and C/C++
• Packaging, integrating, testing and uploading open source software to the Ubuntu repositories
• Debugging issues, then designing and delivering robust solutions
• Authoring and improving technical and community documentation
• Contributing to upstream and neighboring open source projects
• Collaborating as part of a globally distributed team
• Continuously learning and progressing their technical and professional skills

What We Are Looking For

• 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
• Drive and a track record of going above and beyond 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

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 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
• 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

About Canonical (Company Overview)

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.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Canonical is an equal opportunity employer. We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background creates a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.