Ubuntu Quality Engineering Manager

Canonical (View all Jobs)

Home based - Worldwide

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Interview Process

1. Review your open source contributions at shortlist stage. 2. 4x60m interviews over Hangouts, each of which is carried out blind (none of the interviewers talk to each other until the final review). The company is fully remote, so there is no on-site.

Programming Languages Mentioned

Python, C++


We are looking for an engineering manager for our Ubuntu Quality Engineering team, with a mission to take Linux distro quality to a new level through automation and large-scale data analysis.

As the Ubuntu Quality Engineering Manager, you must be passionate about the future of Ubuntu, mindful of the dynamics of the open source ecosystem, and equally aware of mission critical requirements. You will work closely with the various teams involved in creating Ubuntu and influence their practices to improve quality in every step of Ubuntu engineering. Your goal is to rethink the way a Linux distro approaches quality - bringing together automation, third-party analysis tooling, feedback loops from the community and user base, and our own test capabilities. Your team will monitor, develop and improve the quality of the Ubuntu System, to drive quality excellence and best devops practices among Ubuntu Desktop, Server, Containers and VM at package, system and cluster levels.

As an engineering manager at Canonical your role is technical but your focus is your team. You are expected to help them grow as engineers, do important and satisfying work, and work well with colleagues and community. Technical leadership experience and a background in software engineering are necessary prerequisites for this role. You will be expected to lead, challenge, and develop strong engineers, positively influence the culture, facilitate technical delivery, and work with your team on strategy and execution.

What you’ll do

  • Set and manage expectations with other engineering teams, management, and external stakeholders
  • Advocate and advance modern, agile software development practices
  • Develop and evangelize great engineering and organizational practices
  • Setup and maintain continuous integration for all supported deliverables
  • Define and monitor quality metrics
  • Develop a team with a culture of high quality and performance
  • Work from home with international travel twice per year for up to two weeks

Who you are

  • You have a strong software engineering, Linux, and open source background
  • Your technical knowledge includes C/C++, Python programming and Shell scripting
  • You have experience with data science to support data-driven quality strategies 
  • You have experience with quality processes and continuous integration tools and principles
  • You have engineering management experience and enjoy growing people

Valued additional experience

  • A good understanding of Debian packaging and snaps will be valuable
  • Familiarity with an agile development environment

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 - we’ve been working remotely since 2004!
  • 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 from your team and others
  • Priority Pass for travel and travel upgrades for long haul company events

About Canonical

Canonical is a pioneering tech firm that is 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.​ Work at Canonical is a step into the future, and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game. Canonical provides a unique window into the world of 21st-century digital business.

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.

#LI-remote

Please mention No Whiteboard if you apply!
I'm a one-man team looking to improve tech interviews, and could use any support! 😄


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