Opportunity

Cloud Software Engineer at Canonical | Linux & Python in Columbus

Location Columbus
Company Canonical Ltd.
Source jobicy
Posted 2026-08-01 03:04:00

Career & Market Insight

Canonical offers a rare combination of open-source prestige and genuine remote-first culture — a green flag for engineers who want flexibility without sacrificing impact. Working directly with AWS, GCP, and Azure on Ubuntu cloud images means you'll build skills at the intersection of Linux internals, CI/CD pipelines, and hyperscale cloud infrastructure, all of which are among the highest-demand competencies in the current job market.

Compensation context: No salary is listed, which is common for Canonical's geo-adjusted model. For a mid-to-senior cloud/Linux software engineer role, market benchmarks range from $110K–$180K in the US and £60K–£100K in the UK. Canonical's geo-adjusted pay may come in below US top-of-market but is competitive for most other regions. The annual bonus and annual review cycle add upside.

Skills you'll develop:

  • Python-based build automation and CI/CD (Jenkins, shell scripting)
  • Cloud image engineering across AWS, Azure, and GCP
  • Linux kernel and Ubuntu Server internals
  • Open source contribution and community engagement
  • Cross-functional partner management with top-tier tech companies

Culture signals: Founder-led, profitable, and not VC-pressured — this suggests stable, sustainable growth rather than boom-bust startup energy. The twice-yearly in-person sprints indicate intentional culture-building without office mandates.

Potential watch-out: Canonical's compensation is location-adjusted, which can be lower than pure US-market rates. Engineers in high cost-of-living cities should evaluate the offer carefully against local benchmarks.

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 a Software Engineer to work on Linux, cloud infrastructure, pipelines and automation, and open source software.

You will work closely with Amazon, Microsoft, Google and other world-class cloud partners to make Ubuntu the best platform there is in the clouds. Your time will be split between build system development (using Python, Jenkins and shell), implementation of cloud-related features within Ubuntu Server itself, operation of our continuous delivery pipelines, and direct partner engagement. You will strive to automate the delivery of existing and new Ubuntu products applied to all modern workloads from web servers to GPU-aided AI for servers, VMs and containers, and integrate our products with cloud native services.

Come build a rewarding, meaningful career working with the best and brightest people in technology at Canonical, a growing international software company. As a part of our team, you will combine software development skills with software and infrastructure delivery experience.

What the role entails

  • Build automated, highly reliable image delivery, testing and publication pipelines
  • Design, build and integrate new features and enhancements into Ubuntu that will support users of Ubuntu in public clouds
  • Collaborate proactively with a distributed team
  • Write high quality code to create new features
  • Design and architect complex new systems and integrations with the clouds
  • Debug issues and produce high quality code to fix them
  • Review code produced by other engineers and participate in design discussions
  • Work from home with global travel 2 to 4 weeks for internal and external events
  • Engage with many other teams at Canonical, as well as the open source community and commercial partners

What we are looking for in you

  • 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 similar degree
  • You have practical experience with public clouds
  • You have interest and experience with at least 3 of the following: containers (Docker, Kubernetes, etc.), DevOps automation, open source projects, APIs, Linux systems administration, Python packaging, cloud-based applications
  • At least some experience in Python software development on Linux

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 recognise outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus. 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
  • Employee Assistance Programme
  • 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 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. 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 role truly fully remote, or are there office requirements?
The role is fully remote with no office requirement. Canonical has been a remote-first company since 2004, and the posting explicitly states work from home. You will travel 2–4 weeks per year for internal and external events.
Which countries are eligible for this Software Engineer position?
The role is open to candidates in EMEA, LATAM, Canada, and the USA. Given Canonical's global hiring across 75+ countries, many additional regions may also qualify.
What programming languages and tools does this role focus on?
The primary language is Python, with shell scripting and Jenkins for build automation. Experience with Linux, containers (Docker/Kubernetes), and public cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) is expected.
Does Canonical offer a salary range for this position?
No specific salary range is listed. Canonical states that compensation is geo-adjusted based on location, experience, and performance, with annual reviews and a performance-driven annual bonus.
What travel perks are included in this role?
The role includes 2–4 weeks of company-funded global travel per year for team sprints and events, a Priority Pass membership, and travel upgrades for long-haul company events.
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