Opportunity

Cloud Engineering Manager at Canonical - OpenStack in Columbus

Location Columbus
Company Canonical
Source jobicy
Posted 2026-08-22 16:55:04

Career & Market Insight

This is a strong career move for experienced cloud engineers transitioning into or advancing within engineering leadership, particularly those with an OpenStack background. The BootStack team sits at the intersection of managed services and product engineering — a rare combination that develops both operational and strategic leadership skills.

Skills you'll develop:

  • Distributed team leadership across global time zones
  • OpenStack and Kubernetes managed services management — high-demand skills as private cloud adoption grows
  • Customer SLA management and enterprise stakeholder communication
  • Engineering process design (agile, incident response, service quality)

Compensation signals: No salary is listed, which is typical for Canonical. The company adjusts pay by geography, so compensation can vary significantly by location. Market rates for Engineering Managers in cloud/infrastructure at this scope range from $120K–$180K+ USD annually in Western markets. Canonical's global model may pay below top US rates but above average for many other regions — clarify geography-adjusted bands during interviews.

Green flags:

  • Founder-led, profitable company — lower risk of sudden layoffs or pivots
  • Genuine remote-first culture since 2004 — not a post-pandemic experiment
  • $2,000/year L&D budget signals investment in growth
  • Clear performance-driven bonus structure

Watch for: The managed services space is demanding — 20% travel and global SLA commitments can blur work-life boundaries at the manager level. Probe team size and on-call expectations carefully during interviews.

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 Engineering Manager for the BootStack team.

This role is an opportunity for a technologist with a passion for Linux and Cloud technologies to build a career with Canonical and drive the success with those leveraging Ubuntu and open source products. If you have an affinity for open source development and a passion for technology, then you will enjoy working with some of the best people in the industry at Canonical.

The BootStack team designs, builds, and operates modern distributed systems on private infrastructure for customers. From Kubernetes to OpenStack and everything in-between, you'll be working with the latest technology in a fast-paced engineering environment. As a Cloud Engineering Manager for the BootStack team, you will be responsible for managing the engineers that oversee day-to-day Managed Service of customer environments, including customer service management, managed services operations, and consistent product improvement engineering. Collaboration with customers, product engineering, and operations is critical to success.

Location: This is a globally remote role.

The role entails

  • Manage a growing engineering team to optimise the quality and velocity of both development and operations
  • Identify and measure team health indicators
  • Implement disciplined engineering and operations processes
  • Represent the BootStack team with respect to stakeholders, customers, and external teams
  • Ensure proper team focus on priorities, milestones, and deliverables
  • Work to meet service level agreements with customer deployments around the globe
  • Deliver quality managed services in a consistent, timely manner

What we are looking for in you

  • Bachelor's (or equivalent) education in a technology field
  • Proven track record of professional experience of either software delivery using Python, Go, C, C++, Java, or similar and/or managing operations teams
  • Proven experience with OpenStack
  • Demonstrated strong commitment to testing methodologies and maintainable code quality
  • Experience with Linux system administration; Ubuntu/Debian a plus
  • Strong communication and cooperation skills
  • Experience with agile software development methodologies
  • Experience working in and managing distributed teams
  • Technical aptitude for understanding complex distributed systems
  • Experience with cloud topologies and technologies
  • Travel to team and company events and customer meetings, roughly 20% or less

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 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this Engineering Manager role truly fully remote?
Yes, Canonical explicitly states this is a globally remote role with no required office presence. The company has operated as a distributed-first organization since 2004, with colleagues in 75+ countries.
How much travel is required for this role?
The role requires approximately 20% travel or less, covering team sprints (twice yearly), company events, and customer meetings. Canonical provides Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long-haul company events.
What is the compensation for this Engineering Manager position?
Canonical does not publicly list a salary range; compensation is determined by geographical location, experience, and performance. In addition to base pay, there is a performance-driven annual bonus and an annual compensation review.
What technical background is required for this role?
Proven OpenStack experience is specifically required, along with a background in software delivery (Python, Go, C, C++, Java, or similar) and/or managing operations teams, plus experience with cloud topologies and Linux system administration.
Does Canonical offer any professional development support?
Yes, all team members receive a personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year, in addition to access to a Team Member Assistance Program and Wellness Platform.
UdreamJob
Curated By

UdreamJob

Remote work & career advice that actually works.

Similar Opportunities