Ubuntu Engineering Delivery and Excellence Manager

Canonical; Liverpool City Region; Remote; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Canonical is seeking a Quality Engineering Manager for its Ubuntu Quality Engineering team. This role focuses on enhancing the quality of one of the most popular Linux distributions through automation, large-scale data analysis, and engineering management. Candidates with a strong software engineering background, experience in open source, and a passion for Ubuntu are encouraged to apply. This position offers a chance to work within a dynamic and distributed team while influencing best practices across the organization.

Benefits

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

Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long haul events

Distributed work environment with team sprints

Qualifications

• Experience in engineering management and team development.
• Strong proponent of data-driven decision making.
• Technical knowledge of software quality assurance frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Define and monitor quality metrics for Ubuntu.
• Manage expectations with engineering teams and stakeholders.
• Advocate modern agile software development practices.

Skills

C/C++

Python

Shell scripting

Linux

Open source

Quality processes

Education

Strong software engineering background

Tools

Continuous integration tools

Job description

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 1100+ 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.

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

As the Ubuntu Quality Engineering Manager, you must be an experienced engineer who has built large-scale software quality assurance frameworks, is passionate about the future of Ubuntu, mindful of the dynamics of the open source ecosystem, and equally aware of mission-critical requirements related to shipping the best Linux distro to users and partners world-wide. 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 every 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 the community. Technical leadership experience and experience as a software engineer 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.

Location: Global worldwide

The role entails

• Define and monitor quality metrics for the most popular Linux distro in the world
• 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
• 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
  
  

What we are looking for in you

• 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 quality processes and continuous integration tools and principles
• You have engineering management experience and enjoy growing people
• You are a strong proponent of data-driven decision making
  
  

Nice-to-have skills

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

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 or commission. 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 of software. 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. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home 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.