Linux Software Engineer - Ubuntu for Next-Gen Silicon (multiple roles and seniority levels) in London

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.

Canonical's Partner Engineering Team is looking for open‐source enthusiasts to work across the full Linux stack to ensure new silicon technologies—such as new hardware accelerators, AI stacks, confidential computing, networking, virtualization, and containerization stacks—are optimized for the latest silicon. Partner Engineering works closely with worldwide silicon companies to optimize Ubuntu for their new silicon, from x86, ARM, RISC‐V, PowerPC and s390x architectures. This is a globally remote role.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate proactively within a distributed team.
• Foster a software ecosystem with a seamless user experience for all Ubuntu users.
• Evaluate contributions of other engineers to maintain high‐quality software standards.
• Play a role in shaping the future of Ubuntu via new ideas and advising on work being done elsewhere.
• Collaborate with other teams in the Ubuntu and Debian communities, upstream projects, and commercially supported customers.
• Debug issues on open source code and team‐maintained code.
• Help customers integrate their apps, SDKs, build OS images, and optimize applications with Ubuntu Core, Desktop and Server.
• Work with a team to maintain Ubuntu, silicon features, and silicon‐optimized packages across platforms and technologies such as servers, HPC and AI systems, IoT devices, PCs, SmartNICs and automotive systems; AI stacks; graphics, audio and multimedia stacks; virtualisation and containers; hardware enablement stacks; new architectures, architecture variants and optimized toolchains; package management and dependencies; platform security (secure boot, FDE, Ubuntu Core, confidential computing).
• Work from home with global travel 2 to 4 weeks for internal events.

Qualifications

• Exceptional academic track record from high school and university.
• Undergraduate degree in a technical subject or a compelling narrative about an alternative chosen path.
• Love technology and working with brilliant people.
• Curious, flexible, articulate, and accountable.
• Passionate, enterprising, thoughtful, and self‐motivated.
• Valuable partnerships with a diverse set of internal and external groups.
• Strong fundamentals in C, C++ and Python.
• Experience or interest in learning Linux distribution packaging.
• Experience or interest in open source maintenance or contribution and licensing.
• Fundamental understanding of package management and dependency resolution.

Additional Skills That You Might Also Bring

• Experience with one or more of the following:
• Graphics, audio, or multimedia stacks.
• Virtualization and containers (Docker, OCI, Kubernetes).
• Hardware enablement for platforms and devices, including SmartNICs, NVMe storage, GPUs, audio components, and sensors.
• Performance optimization.
• Toolchain development and maintenance.
• Networking protocols and technologies (TCP/IP, DHCP, HTTP/REST).
• Security best practices.
• IoT and embedded systems, including board‐level hardware, SoCs, BMCs, bootloaders, firmware, operating systems, applications, and services.

Benefits

• 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.

Canonical is an equal‐opportunity employer. We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background creates a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.