Graduate Software Engineer, Open Source and Linux, Canonical Ubuntu - Canonical

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems, with Ubuntu widely used in public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation, and IoT. We are a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with over 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 is a founder-led, profitable, and growing company.

The Opportunity: Graduate Software Engineer

We are hiring 2025 and 2026 Graduate Software Engineers into engineering teams globally. As a global platform company, we offer a wide range of software engineering challenges in both open source products and commercial business systems. Our teams work with various languages, typically Python, Golang, Rust, C/C++, JavaScript, and Bash.

Our work spans the entire Linux system, from BIOS, boot loaders, firmware, kernel, and drivers, up to desktop applications and containers. We work on devices from Raspberry Pi and new RISC-V boards to supercomputers, clouds, and Kubernetes clusters. Our focus areas include compilers, toolchains, security, cryptography, performance, and documentation. Some teams package thousands of software pieces, while others contribute deeply to a single codebase.

If you are excited about the potential of open source for humanity and enterprise, have outstanding academic results, and are eager to contribute to the open source stack, this is the best way to apply to Canonical. We will help you identify teams and projects that align with your skills and motivations. This is a highly competitive process requiring effort and excellence.

Work Environment

Most of our engineering teams work from home. We strive to align single teams within a single time zone: EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), APAC (Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean), and AMER (North, South and Central Americas). Even while working remotely, we ensure you have colleagues for coaching, mentoring, shared problem-solving, and pair programming. Larger projects may involve multiple teams spanning the globe. We specialize in building teams that thrive in the 'fishbowl' of open source engineering.

This is a full-time, five-day-a-week role, often involving hard problems with significant responsibility. We generally do not work weekends or nights and encourage good holidays, but expect productive and intense engagement Monday to Friday.

We bring all engineering teams together in person twice a year for deep 'sprints' to stimulate discussion and enable career development. This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate and develop your software skills, learn about diverse technologies, make a meaningful impact on open source, and visit interesting new cities.

If you find the open source stack amazing and have been a consistent high-performing student, this will be a challenging and exciting start to your career.

Location: This is a Globally remote role.

The Role Entails

• Shaping the roadmap for your product at global sprints every six months.
• Focusing on design and user experience, even for developer tooling and command-line applications.
• Writing high-quality, resilient, and performant code, potentially serving millions of demanding daily users.
• Working towards mastery of key programming languages and Linux system knowledge.
• Engaging with users and the open source community through code reviews and issue trackers.
• Responding to customer issues as a priority, developing an understanding of enterprise requirements.
• Developing skills and awareness of security in software design and implementation.

What We Are Looking For In You

• Exceptional academic track record from both high school and university.
• Undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Business Informatics, Mathematics, or another STEM discipline with programming courses.
• Confidence to get started and deliver high-quality code in one of Python, Rust, C/C++, Golang, JavaScript, or Java.
• Experience with Ubuntu or another Linux distribution.
• Track record of going above-and-beyond expectations to achieve outstanding results.
• Result-oriented and organized, with the drive to meet commitments.
• Personal projects in technology and software engineering beyond the curriculum.
• Professional written and spoken English.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, curiosity, flexibility, and accountability.
• Personal responsibility and accountability.
• Thoughtfulness, self-awareness, and the ability to reflect and develop.
• Ability to travel internationally twice a year for company events up to two weeks long.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Upstream open source contributions.
• Packaging and Linux distribution contributions (Debian, Fedora, Arch, Nix, or another).
• Leadership and organization skills.
• Presentation and writing skills.
• Business and commercial interests.

What We Offer Colleagues

We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide, revisiting it annually (and more often for graduates and associates) to recognize outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. We provide additional benefits that reflect our values and ideals, balanced to meet local needs and ensure global fairness.

• 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 globally and set a very high standard for people joining the company, expecting excellence. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since its inception in 2004. Working here is a step into the future, challenging 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.

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