Design Manager (Visual)

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is 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 a Design Manager to lead and contribute to our Visual Design practice supporting brand and site experiences. This is a hands‑on leadership role suited to experienced designers who excel in people management, delivery ownership, and strategic thinking. The role entails the application and evolution of existing guidelines, ensuring consistency across touchpoints. You will lead a variety of projects ranging from marketing campaign assets, data visualization, print, and UI design related projects. You will be collaborating closely with the design systems and the sites team, influencing the UI of all our digital experiences. You will have opportunities to get involved in various stretch projects that go beyond the scope of brand design, allowing you to drive cross‑department collaboration.

As Design Manager, you will lead a team of visual designers responsible for brand and site‑related work across Canonical. You will drive innovation, set direction, maintain quality, and ensure delivery supporting continuous professional growth of the visual design team. You will be able to step‑in and craft exceptional visual solutions to set the creative vision. You will be expected to lead by example, not by theory alone.

Day‑to‑day responsibilities:

• Reviewing work critically and constructively, striving for excellence and consistency through direct feedback.
• Contributing hands‑on design work when capacity or complexity requires it.
• Working with individual designers to support their professional growth.
• Continuously overseeing and improving operational workflows, including production processes.
• Working with stakeholders, especially Marketing, Web Engineering, and Design Systems Director, to clearly define and validate outcomes.
• Evolving design systems and guidelines to drive consistent quality and improve efficiency.
• Co‑ordinating with the rest of design leadership to mature our collective practice.
• Bringing your team and others together to share their work and strengthen culture.
• Helping make the value of design legible across the organisation and open source community.

What we are looking for in you:

• A portfolio demonstrating excellence in leading design process and execution (especially visually) in diverse organisations.
• Experience managing complex projects and a team of designers while remaining actively involved in design work.
• Advanced knowledge of visual design principles (typography, layout, colour, systems) demonstrating broad experience.
• Strong processes understanding and ability to manage ambiguity, competing priorities, and limited resources with the ability to switch modes.
• A clear point of view, balanced with openness to critique and feedback with deep care for usability and accessibility.
• Commitment to skills development and mentorship.
• A demonstrable passion for technology.
• Thoughtful and self‑motivated while being result‑oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitments.
• Exceptional educational achievement in design, or a compelling narrative about your alternative chosen path.
• Professional written and spoken English.
• Willingness to travel up to 4 times a year for internal events up to two weeks long.

What we offer you:

• Fully remote working environment – we’ve been working remotely since 2004!
• Personal learning and development budget of 2,000 USD per annum.
• Annual compensation review.
• Recognition rewards.
• Annual holiday leave.
• Parental leave.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues at 'sprints'.
• 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.