Ubuntu Core Engineer at Canonical - Remote EMEA

Job4Travelers; United States; Remote; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Learning budget USD 2,000/year

Travel 2–4x per year

Priority Pass lounge access

Job summary

Canonical is hiring an Ubuntu Core Software Engineer to redefine the Linux experience in embedded environments with the smallest, most secure, and updatable OS in the IoT market. This fully remote role in the EMEA region focuses on open source software, Linux, security, and developer experience, requiring low-level OS, kernel, and firmware expertise.

The position offers a distributed work model, twice-yearly team sprints, and a USD 2,000 annual learning budget.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or equivalent in Computer Science, STEM, or similar field.
• Experience with C or Go and Shell scripting.
• Solid understanding of Linux and Debian/Ubuntu-style distros.

Responsibilities

• Write high quality code with unit tests for new features.
• Debug Linux system-level issues and implement fixes.
• Collaborate with a distributed team and review others' code.
• Integrate diverse bootloaders and maintain gadget snaps.
• Travel 2–4 times per year for internal and external events.

Skills

C

Go

Shell

Linux

Raspberry Pi

Bootloaders

U-Boot

Education

Bachelor's or equivalent (CS/STEM)

Tools

Yocto

Job description

Ubuntu Core Engineer at Canonical - Remote EMEA — Remote

Canonical is one of the most nomad-friendly employers in the tech world — fully remote since 2004, with 1,200+ employees across 75+ countries and almost no office-based roles. This EMEA-scoped position is well-suited to location-independent professionals.

Timezone & async flexibility: Canonical operates as a distributed-first organisation with a strong async culture. EMEA coverage spans UTC-1 to UTC+5, making cities like Lisbon (UTC+0/+1), Tallinn (UTC+2/+3), and Nairobi (UTC+3) all viable bases. Overlap windows are manageable across the region, and there's no indication of rigid fixed-hour schedules.

Visa considerations: Several EMEA countries offer digital nomad visas highly compatible with this role:

• Portugal: Digital Nomad Visa (D8) — ideal for non-EU nationals earning above ~€3,280/month
• Georgia: Remotely From Georgia programme — low cost of living, simple entry
• UAE: Remote Work Visa — tax-free income, excellent connectivity

Travel perks are real: 2–4 company-funded international sprints per year, Priority Pass lounge access, and travel upgrades for long-haul events make this unusually appealing for travel enthusiasts. The $2,000 annual L&D budget could also cover coworking memberships or tech gear.

Without a published salary, cost-of-living comparisons are speculative, but EMEA software engineer salaries at Canonical-tier companies typically range €60,000–€100,000+, which affords a comfortable lifestyle in Lisbon, Warsaw, or Tbilisi.

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.

We are hiring an Ubuntu Core Software Engineer to redefine the Linux experience in embedded environments with the smallest, most secure, and updatable operating system in the IoT market. This is an opportunity for a software engineer passionate about open source software, Linux, security, and the developer experience. This challenging role demands a high degree of technical skill with low-level operating systems, kernel, and device firmware.

Our mission is to allow everyone to build robust solutions in various fields including but not limited to IoT, automotive, and aviation using the next generation secure embedded Linux operating system. We define a reliable and secure set of device recovery mechanisms that enable device manufacturers to simplify and standardise field operations for fleets of heterogeneous appliances.

As an Ubuntu Core team member, you'll be designing and implementing software that runs on various CPU architectures, such as ARM, RISC-V, and X86. You will work on boot mechanisms, bootloaders, storage partition layout, device trees, kernel, and services.

Location: This role is based remotely in the EMEA region.

The Role Entails

• Write high quality code with unit tests to create new features
• Debug Linux system level issues and produce high quality code to fix them
• Collaborate proactively with a distributed team
• Review code produced by other engineers
• Discuss ideas and collaborate on finding good solutions
• Integrate diverse bootloaders and maintain gadget snaps
• Work from home with global travel 2 to 4 times a year for internal and external events

What We Are Looking For

• 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
• You have a Bachelor's or equivalent in Computer Science, STEM, or a similar degree
• You have experience with C or Golang, and Shell
• You have a solid understanding of Linux and a modern GNU/Linux distribution (Debian or Ubuntu preferred)
• You have personal or professional experience with Linux-capable devices such as Raspberry Pi
• You have interest in learning or experience in one or more low-level systems and security facilities such as:
  • Bootloaders in ARM and X86, such as piboot, uboot, grub-uefi
  • Systemd and units, udev, initrd, graphics
  • OS level firmware daemons and CLI applications
  • Linux security implementations — TPM, FDE, LUKS, HSM, etc.
• You may have experience or knowledge of Yocto

What We Offer

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 recognize 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
• Team Member Assistance Program & Wellness Platform
• 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 our 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.

Is this Ubuntu Core Software Engineer role fully remote? Yes, the role is fully remote, based within the EMEA region. Canonical has operated as a distributed-first company since 2004, with almost no office-based roles globally. How often is travel required for this position? The role requires global travel 2 to 4 times per year for internal team sprints and external events. Canonical provides Priority Pass lounge access and travel upgrades for long-haul company events. What programming languages are required for this role? Canonical looks for experience with C or Golang and Shell scripting. Knowledge of low-level systems such as bootloaders, systemd, and Linux security implementations (TPM, LUKS, HSM) is also valued. Is a salary range published for this position? No specific salary range is listed. Canonical states that compensation is shaped by geographical location, experience, and performance, and is reviewed annually. A performance-driven annual bonus is also included. What is the learning and development support available? All team members receive a personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year to invest in skills, courses, or certifications relevant to their role.

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