National AI Awards 2025Discover AI's trailblazers! Join us to celebrate innovation and nominate industry leaders.

Nominate & Attend

Engineering Director, Ubuntu Desktop

Canonical
London
10 months ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Staff Machine Learning Engineer, Simulation

Product Director

Associate Director of AI

Associate Director of Artificial Intelligence

Associate Director of Artificial Intelligence

Associate Director of Artificial Intelligence

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 + colleagues in 70+ countries and very few roles based in offices. 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 aDirector, Ubuntu Desktop Engineeringto lead our mission to deliver the world's best open source desktop experience and developer platform, for consumers, professionals and developers. This is a director-level position, responsible for the integrated strategy, architecture and roadmap across multiple engineering teams working in Rust, C/C++, Flutter and Golang. We are looking fora technical leader with a deep understanding of Linux graphics technology, system architecture and security capability.We are also looking for a leader who hasa personal interest in user experience, performance engineering, and consumer applicationsacross form factors such as tablets, mobile, the desktop, and remote computing environments like VDI.

We focus on delivering the cleanest, simplest, most reliable out-of-the-box experience for Linux on any laptop or workstation. We make careful choices to select best of breed components for the entire desktop and developer experience, and we invest in packaging and integration. We are also now looking to build new desktop capabilities, with a focus on performance, resource efficiency, media codecs and user experience. We are seeking a director of engineering with outstanding leadership and management qualities, as well as a clear vision for the future of the open source desktop. The nature of the work requires a deep understanding of the existing Linux desktop technology stack and community dynamics across multiple upstream projects. Candidates must have experience of engineering management in a company that ships software products.

This is a complex and challenging role at the center of a fast-moving and competitive environment. The successful candidate will be an accomplished technologist, proven leader, speaker and motivator, with management and organisational skills. We would like to put this opportunity in the hands of someone passionate about the future of open source, developer experiences, and community. We also require someone who will embrace the competitive and professional demands of a highly visible, widely used and mission critical enterprise platform.

Agree strategy for Ubuntu desktop editions, working with community flavors Lead architecture for next-generation desktop services and systems in Rust, C, C++, Flutter and Golang Ensure that performance engineering, security engineering and documentation are deep values across the team Identify significant new open source capabilities and prioritize their inclusion in the desktop Challenge teams to rethink and re-imagine the desktop on a decade-long timeline Coordinate roadmap across Ubuntu and Canonical products with wider engineering leadership Shape the design of the Ubuntu experience in heterogenous environments - with Windows and Mac, on bare metal and cloud Engage with silicon vendors to enable future generations of desktop silicon and hardware

What we are looking for

An exceptional academic track record at both high school and university A degree in software engineering, science, mathematics or related field Passion for desktop and graphics technology evidenced by deep personal investment in cutting edge techniques and capabilities Drive and a track record of excellence in leadership and operations Professional written and spoken English with outstanding presentation skill Deep operational experience with Linux (Ubuntu preferred) Excellent interpersonal skills, curiosity, flexibility, and accountability  Result-oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitments  Thoughtfulness and self-motivation  Ability to travel twice a year, for company events up to two weeks long

Additional skills we value

Software engineering management and leadership across multiple products and teams Rust, Golang or C/C++ architecture, performance and quality engineering insights Flutter and Dart experience and insights into the Flutter community Deep technical knowledge of graphics hardware and software layers in Linux

What we offer you

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 or commission. 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, 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
National AI Awards 2025

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

AI Jobs UK 2025: 50 Companies Hiring Now

Bookmark this guide – we refresh it every quarter so you always know who’s really scaling their artificial‑intelligence teams. Artificial intelligence hiring has roared back in 2025. The UK’s boosted National AI Strategy funding, record‑breaking private investment (£18.1 billion so far) & a fresh wave of generative‑AI product launches mean employers are jockeying for data scientists, ML engineers, MLOps specialists, AI product managers, prompt engineers & applied researchers. Below are 50 organisations that have advertised UK‑based AI vacancies in the past eight weeks or formally announced growth plans. They’re grouped into five easy‑scan categories so you can jump straight to the kind of employer – & culture – that suits you. For each company you’ll find: Main UK hub Example live or recent vacancy Why it’s worth a look (tech stack, culture, mission) Use the internal links to browse current vacancies on ArtificialIntelligenceJobs.co.uk – or set up a free job alert so fresh roles land in your inbox.

Return-to-Work Pathways: Relaunch Your AI Career with Returnships, Flexible & Hybrid Roles

Stepping back into the workplace after a career break can feel like embarking on a whole new journey—especially in a cutting-edge field such as artificial intelligence (AI). For parents and carers, the challenge isn’t just refreshing your technical know-how but also securing a role that respects your family commitments. Fortunately, the UK’s tech sector now boasts a wealth of return-to-work programmes—from formal returnships to flexible and hybrid opportunities. These pathways are designed to bridge the gap, equipping you with refreshed skills, confidence and a supportive network. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll discover how to: Understand the booming demand for AI talent in the UK Leverage transferable skills honed during your break Overcome common re-entry challenges Build your AI skillset with targeted training Tap into returnship and re-entry programmes Find flexible, hybrid and full-time AI roles that suit your lifestyle Balance professional growth with caring responsibilities Master applications, interviews and networking Whether you’re returning after maternity leave, eldercare duties or another life chapter, this article will equip you with practical steps, resources and insider tips.

LinkedIn Profile Checklist for AI Jobs: 10 Tweaks That Triple Recruiter Views

In today’s fiercely competitive AI job market, simply having a LinkedIn profile isn’t enough. Recruiters and hiring managers routinely scout for top talent in machine learning, data science, natural language processing, computer vision and beyond—sometimes before roles are even posted. With hundreds of applicants vying for each role, you need a profile that’s optimised for search, speaks directly to AI-specific skills, and showcases measurable impact. By following this step-by-step LinkedIn for AI jobs checklist, you’ll make ten strategic tweaks that can triple recruiter views and position you as a leading AI professional. Whether you’re a fresh graduate aiming for your first AI position or a seasoned expert targeting a senior role, these actionable changes will ensure your profile stands out in feeds, search results and recruiter queues. Let’s dive in.