---
title: 'Software Engineer (Python/Linux/Packaging) at Canonical'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-python-linux-packaging-canonical-americas-fb79s7bccern'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-11'
---

# Software Engineer (Python/Linux/Packaging) at Canonical

- **Company:** Canonical
- **Location:** Americas
- **Work type:** remote
- **Posted:** 2020-11-16
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/canonical/jobs/2413329

## Job description

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 talented Software Engineers with strong Python, Packaging and Linux skills and who want to have a positive impact on the day-to-day workflow of thousands of snap, rock and charm publishers. To be successful on this team you'll need to be interested in packaging formats, build systems and automation that can simplify the lives of developers and engineers trying to ship software to the widest possible audience.

We design and maintain specialist Python tools to support the developer build and publication process. The team takes responsibility for tooling that builds [snaps](https://snapcraft.io),  [charms](https://juju.is/) and more recently, [rocks](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/rockcraft).

[Snapcraft](https://github.com/snapcore/snapcraft) allows developers to deliver app updates to millions of Linux systems automatically, eliminating the long tail of supported releases and complex install instructions. Snapcraft enables thousands of applications from over a thousand developers, including well-recognised names like Spotify, Slack, and Microsoft.

Likewise, [Charmcraft](https://github.com/canonical/charmcraft) enables collaboration between charmed operator developers, and publication on[Charmhub](https://charmhub.io/), home of the Charmed Operator Collection. Charmed Operators enable developers to package software like databases, event queues, caches, observability tools, identity tools and more, right alongside the operations code that enables teams to integrate and operate that software at scale from Day 0 to Day 1,000, and beyond.

And [Rockcraft](https://github.com/canonical/rockcraft/) provides the means for container developers to build production-grade Ubuntu-based container images, regardless of their experience as a software developer. These container images are called Rocks and can be found in various popular container registries, like Docker Hub, offering an opinionated and consistent design that focus on security while providing an homogeneous user experience across all rocks.

## What we are looking for in you

- You have expertise in Python.
- You have a strong understanding of the makeup of a modern GNU/Linux distribution.
- You have a good understanding of build systems and toolchains, including for cross-compilation.
- Experience working with container technology, such as Docker, Kubernetes and LXD.
- Use your familiarity with languages, toolchains, frameworks, integrations, and CI systems to extend the snap build ecosystem
- Work with external open source and commercial projects to understand how we can better serve community needs.

## 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, you can ask in the later stages of the recruitment process.

- 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 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.](https://canonical.com/careers/diversity/identity)

#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