Software Engineer - packaging - optimize Ubuntu Server

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.

Canonical’s Ubuntu Engineering Server Team is looking for open source enthusiasts to help build the distro of the future. The Server Team maintains and packages a wide variety of software including webservers, databases, and virtualization and containerization stacks. This is an exciting opportunity for you, a software engineer passionate about open source software. Come build a rewarding, meaningful career working with the best and brightest people in technology at Canonical, a growing international software company and help us to bring free software to the widest audience.

Ubuntu Server is a platform that enables amazing technology the whole world over, and is the #1 operating system in the public clouds. Applicants to this role will have the opportunity to help with everything that goes into evolving Ubuntu.  You will get to work with our experienced team and have the benefits of learning and growing alongside the best engineers in the business.

This role entails

• Collaborating proactively within a distributed team
• Fostering a software ecosystem with seamless user experience for all Ubuntu users
• Evaluating contributions of other engineers to maintain high-quality software standards.
• Playing a role in shaping the future of Ubuntu via both - new ideas in your areas of interest and advising on work being done elsewhere
• Collaborating with other teams in the Ubuntu and Debian communities, with upstream projects, and commercially supported customers
• Debugging issues on open source code and team maintained code.
• Working with the team to maintain Ubuntu Server packages, specifically but not limited to:
  • Traditional server workloads (web servers, databases, network services, etc)
  • Virtualisation and Containers
  • Package management and dependencies
  • Language runtimes and toolchains
• Work from home with global travel 2 to 4 weeks for internal and external events

What we are looking for in you

• You love technology and working with brilliant people
• You are curious, flexible, articulate, and accountable
• You value soft skills and are passionate, enterprising, thoughtful, and self-motivated
• Interest or experience in open source maintenance or contribution
• You have a Bachelor’s or equivalent in Computer Science, STEM or similar degree (or any higher)
• Understands basic reproducibility and testing steps. Comfortable setting up test systems in containers or virtual machines. Able to describe issues and steps clearly
• Strong fundamentals in one language from C/C++, Python, Rust, Go
• Interest in learning distro packaging
• Fundamental understanding of package management and dependency resolution.
• Interest in containerization and virtualization such as Docker or OCI service containers, LXD system containers, and local virtualization like Virtualbox or QEMU, or Public Clouds

What we offer colleagues

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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