Manager, Product Manager

Canonical Ltd.; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Learning budget USD 2,000/year

Annual compensation review

Maternity & paternity leave

Distributed work environment

Twice-yearly in-person team sprints

Job summary

Canonical is a leading open source software company driving Ubuntu across cloud, AI, IoT, and enterprise markets. We hire product managers who shape strategy, mentor teams, and deliver high-quality products.

Roles span multiple product domains; home-based in the EMEA time zone, with occasional in-person team sprints. We seek technologists with a software engineering background who can guide product vision, drive cross-functional collaboration, and align teams to business and user needs.

Qualifications

• Exceptional academic results at high school and university.
• Strong understanding of Linux and the open source community.
• Understanding of cloud, datacenters, architectures, and devices.
• Passion for writing about technologies and the tech landscape.
• Excellent work ethic and ownership mindset.
• Curiosity and commitment to continuous learning.
• Strong leadership and ability to mentor teams.
• Outstanding English communication skills (verbal and written).
• Product management experience for senior roles; mentoring cross-functional teams.
• Ability to manage multiple projects while maintaining priorities.
• Willingness to travel internationally up to 4 times per year.

Responsibilities

• Lead the product development lifecycle with clear priorities.
• Collaborate with engineering, design, marketing, and sales.
• Align projects and enable informed decision making.
• Conduct market research and solicit customer feedback.
• Communicate vision, status, and decisions to stakeholders.
• Perform usability testing and iterate to improve UX.
• Support GTM strategies with marketing and sales.
• Mentor a team of product managers and ensure cross-functional alignment.
• Oversee multiple product lines for consistent strategy and execution.
• Foster collaboration and resolve inter-team conflicts.

Skills

Academic excellence

Open source

Linux

Cloud/Dc

English communication

Leadership/strategy

Ownership

Problem solving

Multi-project mgmt

Travel willingness

Education

Excellent academic record

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker containers

Snaps

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 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 product management team are technologists who have a passion for delivering products and solutions that help shape market demands while elevating open source software everywhere. This is a general application track for the product management positions at Canonical, across all levels of team leads. As a manager, you will lead a team of product managers, mentoring them to ensure their success while driving alignment with company goals. You will set a clear vision, prioritize work effectively, and ensure the team delivers high-quality products that meet business and user needs.

During the interview process we will identify specific software products which would be a good fit for your interests.

We believe that open source is transforming the way that enterprises solve their business needs. Although open source has been around for thirty years, it is only now fundamental to every corner of the software landscape. Going forward we believe open source will have an even bigger impact as it moves into specialised vertical markets. 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’, starting with Ubuntu but expanding to cover every class of application on every class of compute. To deliver on that ambition, we select product managers for their intellect and strong drive to advance the open source community. Together, we aim to improve open source quality, outreach, and impact. Our product managers set the vision and the direction to ensure teams deliver the right products in the right markets at the right time. They push the boundaries of the technology landscape to identify and deliver products into new and existing market opportunities.

Our product managers are technology professionals with a software engineering background who strive to become business executives and entrepreneurs. We discuss strategy, plan product development, drive engagement, and promote the open source way. We oversee the entire product lifecycle from conception to delivery, blending technical expertise, strategic thinking, analytics, project management skills and effective communication to ensure products meet both user needs and business objectives.

We have open product manager roles across a wide range of product domains, including:

• Ubuntu Platform - Our Ubuntu experience on Desktop, Server, Windows (WSL), Multipass, Gaming, Enterprise, & Hardware Enablement
• Ubuntu Pro Services - Our key commercial offerings Ubuntu Pro, Compliance, Standards, Security Engineering, and Managed Services on cloud and on prem
• IoT - Ubuntu on embedded devices and/or edge servers, device management, and robotics
• Cloud - Ubuntu in public and private clouds, promoting automation frameworks, and including technologies such as Kubernetes, MAAS, and LXD
• Telco - Open source for Telco's including technologies and standards related to Core Network, RAN/vRAN, SoNIC, DENT, and SmartNICs
• Finance - Open source solutions for financial institutions including trading platforms, blockchain technologies, regulatory compliance, and AI-driven analytics
• Automotive - Open source solutions for autonomous driving, in-vehicle infotainment, connected vehicles, and compliance with automotive industry standards such as ISO 26262 and ISO 21434
• Application Management - Open source solutions in the enterprise including Observability, IAM, App Stores and technologies such Grafana, GitOps, and Juju Charms

Location: These roles are home based in the EMEA time zone.

This role entails

• Lead the product development lifecycle, reviewing the priorities and goals for your product
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams such as engineering, design, marketing, and sales
• Address common challenges across projects, align on priorities, enable informed decisions, and keep business execution on track
• Conduct market research, analyse industry trends, and gather customer feedback to identify opportunities
• Communicate your product vision, status updates, and key decisions to ensure alignment and manage expectations
• Conduct usability testing, analyse user feedback, and iterate on the product to improve the user experience
• Collaborate with marketing, sales, and support teams to develop go-to-market strategies, create product documentation, and provide training
• Contribute to the success of our sales team in winning new opportunities, reviewing customer feedback and participating in customer meetings
• Guide and mentor a team of product managers, helping them grow in their roles and succeed in their projects
• Oversee the work of multiple product lines, ensuring consistency in strategy and execution across your team
• Facilitate collaboration and resolve conflicts within your team and across other departments

What we are looking for in you

• Exceptional academic results at high school and university
• Understanding of Linux and the wider open source software community
• Understanding of computer architecture, application development, datacenters, cloud or devices
• Passion to write about technologies and the tech landscape
• A strong work ethic, and personal interests aligned with the open source movement
• Curiosity, and the habit of continuous learning
• A strong sense of ownership
• Problem solving and the ability to innovate
• Outstanding communications skills in English, both verbal and written
• For more senior positions, product management experience in the software industry
• Proven experience in managing and mentoring product managers or cross-functional teams
• Ability to manage multiple projects or product lines while maintaining focus on key priorities
• Demonstrated leadership in aligning diverse teams and driving consensus around product strategies
• Willingness to travel internationally up to 4 times a year for company events up to two weeks long

Additional Skills That We Value

• Familiarity with a particular verticals (e.g. Telco, Finance, Industrial, Automotive)
• Familiarity with the technology ecosystem including Silicon, IHV, ISV, ODM/OEMs, cloud service providers and channel
• Familiarity with cloud native technologies such as Kubernetes, Docker containers & Snaps
• Familiarity with embedded and connected device technology and ecosystems
• Experience in managing distributed teams across different time zones
• Demonstrated ability to foster collaboration and innovation in team settings

What we offer colleagues

• 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 Program
• 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.