--- title: 'Engineering Manager - Data Platform at Canonical' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/engineering-manager-data-platform-canonical-worldwide-8cgcvc69dq61' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-11' --- # Engineering Manager - Data Platform at Canonical - **Company:** Canonical - **Location:** Worldwide - **Work type:** remote - **Posted:** 2024-02-02 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/canonical/jobs/5667860 ## Job description Canonical is building a comprehensive suite of multi-cloud and on-premise data solutions for the enterprise. We want to make it easy to operate any database on any cloud, or on premise. The data platform team covers the full range of data stores and data technologies, spanning from big data, NoSQL, cache-layer capabilities, and analytics; all the way to structured SQL engines like Postgres and MySQL. We aim to deliver fault-tolerant mission-critical distributed systems, and the world’s best data platform. We are looking for technical Engineering Managers to lead teams focused on Big Data and MySQL databases. We write code in Python and encode modern operational practices for data applications at scale on Kubernetes and cloud machines. Location: This role can be filled in European, Middle East, African or any American region / time zone. What your day will look like - You will lead a team building scalable data solutions for Kubernetes and cloud machines - You will hire, coach, mentor, provide feedback, and lead your team by example - You will demonstrate sound engineering skill by directly contributing code when needed - Effectively set and manage expectations with other engineering teams, senior management, and external stakeholders - Advocate modern, agile software development practices - Develop and evangelize great engineering and organizational practices - Ensure that your team delivers excellent products that users love by maintaining a culture of quality and engineering excellence - Grow a healthy, collaborative engineering culture aligned with the company’s values. - Be an active part of the leadership team and collaborate with other leaders in the organization - Work from home with global travel twice yearly, for internal events of one or two weeks duration ## What we are looking for in you - A software engineering background, preferably with Python and Golang experience - Experience running in production and at scale, preferably Big Data or MySQL - Excellent judgement about people - their motivations, abilities, developmental needs, and prospects for success - Proven ability to build high-quality, open-source software - Proven to drive good engineering practices around performance and quality - An open-minded attitude to new technologies and the drive to push the boundaries of what is possible - The ambition to build products that improve how people operate software and infrastructure everywhere - Love developing and growing people and have a track record of doing it - Knowledgeable and passionate about software development Additional skills that you might also bring - Specialist knowledge in one or more of Spark, Superset, MySQL, or similar - Prior experience working with open source and a will to build products with the community ## What we offer you Your base pay will depend on various factors including your geographical location, level of experience, knowledge and skills. In addition to the benefits above, certain roles are also eligible for additional benefits and rewards including annual bonuses and sales incentives based on revenue or utilisation. Our compensation philosophy is to ensure equity right across our global workforce. In addition to a competitive base pay, we provide all team members with additional benefits, which reflect our values and ideals. Please note that additional benefits may apply depending on the work location and, for more information on these, please ask your Talent Partner. - Fully remote working environment - we’ve been working remotely since 2004! - Personal learning and development budget of 2,000USD 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](https://canonical.com/careers/diversity/identity) we will give your application fair consideration. #LI-remote ## About Canonical ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Canonical publishes Ubuntu and delivers trusted open source software, security, and support to enterprises worldwide. - **Entity Type**: Private (founder-funded, bootstrapped) - **Headquarters**: Not publicly available in provided sources (commonly reported as London, UK) - **Founded**: 2004 - **Founders**: Mark Shuttleworth ## Core Business - Primary industry: Enterprise open source software, cloud infrastructure, and security. - Target customers: B2B – enterprises, cloud providers, developers, and government organizations. - Mission statement: "We amplify the impact of open source" – helping people and organizations tap into the power of open source to develop new products with speed and confidence. ## Products & Services - **Ubuntu**: The world’s most popular Linux distribution for desktops, servers, and IoT. - **Ubuntu Pro**: A single subscription providing security maintenance, compliance features, and support for the entire open source portfolio. - **OpenStack**: Canonical’s distribution of the open source cloud platform for private and hybrid clouds. - **Kubernetes (MicroK8s, Charmed Kubernetes)**: Lightweight and production-grade Kubernetes solutions. - **Landscape**: Systems management and compliance tool for Ubuntu deployments. - **LXD**: System container manager for running full Linux systems in containers. - **Netplan**: Network configuration utility for Linux. - **Vanilla Framework**: Open source CSS framework developed by Canonical’s web and design teams. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company) - **Key Metric**: Total funding – not applicable (bootstrapped). Annual revenue – not publicly available. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Founder Mark Shuttleworth is the primary investor. Partners include major cloud providers and hardware vendors (not explicitly listed in provided sources). - **Growth Signals**: Scaled engineering headcount from 600 to 950 engineers (per blog post). Remote-first since inception in 2004. Over 80 nationalities represented. ## Competitive Advantages - **Ubuntu ecosystem**: De facto standard for cloud and developer environments. - **Remote-first culture**: Fully distributed since 2004, attracting global talent. - **Open source leadership**: Deep involvement in communities (OpenStack, Kubernetes, etc.) and strong brand trust. - **End-to-end portfolio**: From OS to applications, with consistent security maintenance for up to 15 years. - **Rigorous hiring**: Manual, human-reviewed process that prioritizes culture fit and potential. ## Strategic Focus - Expand enterprise adoption of Ubuntu Pro and managed open source services. - Maintain leadership in cloud, container, and edge computing. - Strengthen security and compliance offerings for regulated industries. - Continue investing in open source communities and upstream projects. ## Why Work Here - **Remote-first**: Truly distributed company with no central office; team members work from anywhere. - **Culture**: Values of reliability, accessibility, precision, and adroitness. Emphasis on collaboration and open source ethos. - **Small teams, big impact**: Engineering organized into nimble squads (950 engineers across ~50 teams) prioritizing agility and deep expertise. - **Diversity**: Team from over 80 nationalities; equal opportunity employer. - **Career progression**: Focus on impact and potential over rigid experience thresholds; opportunities to shift roles if a better fit is found. - **Perks**: Personal development budget, learning opportunities, and a global, inclusive environment. ## Sources 1. [canonical.com/careers](https://canonical.com/careers) 2. [canonical.com/company](https://canonical.com/company) 3. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/canonical](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/canonical) 4. [canonical.com/blog/hiring-the-canonical-way](https://canonical.com/blog/hiring-the-canonical-way) ## Other roles at Canonical - [Internal Auditor](https://feeny.ai/job/internal-auditor-canonical-americas-emea-london-united-kingdom-8t3cv1ty4prb) — Americas / EMEA / London, United Kingdom - [Global Payroll Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/global-payroll-manager-canonical-emea-london-united-kingdom-8pjpjydzy21t) — EMEA / London, United Kingdom - [Organisational Development Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/organisational-development-associate-canonical-americas-emea-cttbmv9adppw) — Americas / EMEA - [Graduate Software Engineer, Open Source and Linux, Canonical Ubuntu](https://feeny.ai/job/graduate-software-engineer-open-source-and-linux-canonical-ubuntu-canonical-9pc334czz1g3) — Worldwide - [Software Engineer - Secure Container Images](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-secure-container-images-canonical-americas-apac-emea-xp92mq0f6qfb) — Americas / APAC / EMEA - [Talent Acquisition Strategist](https://feeny.ai/job/talent-acquisition-strategist-canonical-emea-qap9txgaz21k) — EMEA - [Regional SDR Director](https://feeny.ai/job/regional-sdr-director-canonical-americas-apac-emea-worldwide-6z5h1bvk9z5a) — Americas / APAC / EMEA / Worldwide - [Senior Organisational Development Practitioner](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-organisational-development-practitioner-canonical-americas-emea-rnmqpt4cbf6r) — Americas / EMEA - [Manager, People Analytics](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-people-analytics-canonical-americas-emea-brwj4mrzr2ep) — Americas / EMEA - [Content Marketing Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/content-marketing-manager-canonical-emea-zwwh0s6j42zb) — EMEA