Engineering Manager

Houston

Job Description Job Description This is a general track for first-level engineering management positions at Canonical.

We believe that open source is just starting to transform the tech sector and enterprise compute. Our goal is to make open source easier, more reliable and more secure for deployment and development. We strive to be the provider of 'most software to most companies'. To deliver on that ambition, our engineers are carefully selected from the applicants across the globe. We select for brilliance and motivation to take open source to the next level. Our engineering managers help teams achieve more than they realised they could, and feel proud of the result.

We believe that Engineering Managers should be outstanding developers themselves. They should be completely at home reviewing a patch or a software design spec. They are trusted engineers who understand the importance of a whole-team effort in creating great products, and who enjoy seeing colleagues develop. They should contribute code themselves to set the standard for coding, but know that the code they write is far less significant than their ability to shape the whole team's direction, focus and delivery. We grow management skills, and train engineers who are interested in soft skills to be managers.

A typical first-level software engineering team is based in a single time zone such as EMEA or Americas or APAC, with an Engineering Manager and a Senior Engineer dedicated to a single product, who work as a team to shape the roadmap, technical strategy, code, documentation and community engagement. They are both capable of coding, and are both leaders comfortable assigning work and maintaining expectations of delivery. They will both be expected to take management training at Canonical so they speak the same language when it comes to team behaviours, habits, routines, norms and standards, but they focus on different sides of the problem.

An Engineering Manager is responsible for line management and career guidance. The ability to develop engineering talent, to represent your team and product from a technical perspective, and to drive collaboration with other teams and customers are all critical to success in this role.

We have open manager roles across a wide range 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 domain of expertise isn't listed above, yet you feel it's relevant to Canonical, then feel free to apply anyway. We will route you to the most suitable team.

Location: we have engineering management positions open in every time zone

What you'll do Lead and develop a team of engineers, ranging from graduate to senior

Work remotely in a single major time zone, sometimes two

Coach, mentor, and offer career development feedback

Identify and measure team health indicators

Implement disciplined engineering processes

Represent your team and product to stakeholders, partners, and customers

Develop and evangelise great engineering and organisational practices

Plan and manage progress on agreed goals and projects

Be an active part of the leadership team, collaborating with other leaders

What we're looking for in you 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

Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English

A love of developing and growing people and a track record of it

Experience in leading, coaching and mentoring software developers

Organised and able to ensure your team delivers timely, high quality results

Well-organised, self-starting and able to deliver to schedule

Professional manner interacting with colleagues, partners, and community

You have advanced expertise in your own domain

You are knowledgeable and passionate about software development

You have solid experience working in an agile development environment

You have a demonstrated drive for continual learning

Builds trust, relationships and confidence

Result-oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitments

Ability to travel twice a year, for company events up to two weeks each

Additional skills we value Experience in a developer advocacy or community role

Ops and system administration experience

Performance engineering and security experience

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

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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