Organisational Development Associate - Canonical

About the Role

Canonical is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with over 1,200 colleagues in 75+ countries. Our Talent Development team is dedicated to making our managers and leaders excellent. As an Organisational Development Associate, you will work with real teams to drive meaningful change, coached by senior practitioners on a fast-track path to leadership.

This is not a support or back-office role; it is a high-impact position for driven, early-career professionals who want to shape how a global tech company operates.

What You Will Do

• Team Diagnostics: Embed within teams to assess health and management effectiveness using engagement data, 360-degree feedback, and direct observation.
• Drive Improvement: Own end-to-end change initiatives, designing and landing concrete improvements in team workflows.
• Manager Support: Assist managers in delivering effective performance feedback and turning insights into actionable commitments.
• Playbook Development: Help build the standards, tools, and shared language that define our organizational function.
• Professional Growth: Learn coaching and organizational development directly from senior practitioners.

What We Are Looking For

• Proven Drive: A track record of leading, building, or organizing (e.g., startups, student societies, military, or team leadership).
• Educational Foundation: A grounding in organizational/industrial psychology, behavioral science, or a comparable field.
• Experience: Up to two years of experience post-graduation.
• Communication: Exceptional academic track record and business-level fluency in English.
• Soft Skills: Confident, accurate, authentic, and results-oriented with the ability to challenge experienced stakeholders.
• Mission Alignment: Sincere motivation to contribute to Canonical’s open-source mission.
• Travel: Willingness to travel up to 4 times a year for internal team sprints.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Exposure to people, coaching, or consulting work via internships or early roles.
• A genuine interest in the craft of management.
• Comfort working with and analyzing data.

What We Offer

• Global Compensation: Competitive pay with annual reviews and performance-driven bonuses.
• Development: USD 2,000 annual personal learning and development budget.
• Distributed Culture: Remote-first environment with twice-yearly in-person team sprints in global locations.
• Benefits: Comprehensive benefits including holiday leave, maternity/paternity leave, and an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Travel: Opportunities to meet colleagues globally with travel upgrades for long-haul events.