Jobs · Full-time

Software Alliances Manager at Canonical - Remote EMEA — Columbus

LocationColumbus
CompanyCanonical
Sourcejobicy
Posted2026-11-07 15:22:05

Traveler-Friendly Insight

Remote-first with real travel perks: Canonical has operated as a fully distributed company since 2004, making this one of the more nomad-tested remote cultures available. The Software Alliances Manager role is explicitly remote within EMEA, so your base country just needs to fall within that region — giving you a wide geographic canvas to work from.

Async-friendly, but with commitment: The role requires up to 25% travel for international conferences and in-person partner meetings, plus twice-yearly team sprints. This means roughly one week per month on the road — plan your base location with good international airport access (e.g., Lisbon, Dubai, Warsaw, or Istanbul are all excellent hubs).

Visa options across EMEA: Portugal's Digital Nomad Visa, Germany's Freiberufler pathway, and Estonia's Digital Nomad Visa are all practical options for non-EU citizens wanting a stable EMEA base. EU/EEA citizens can live freely across the Schengen Area.

Cost-of-living context: While no salary is published, senior alliance/BD roles at companies like Canonical typically range $90k–$140k+ USD. Compared against popular EMEA nomad bases:

  • Lisbon, Portugal: ~$2,500/mo comfortable living — strong value and within EMEA.
  • Tallinn, Estonia: ~$2,000/mo — EU-based, digital-nomad visa available, great tech community.
  • Istanbul, Turkey: ~$1,500/mo — excellent value, strong connectivity, but non-EU timezone edge.

Travel perks to note: Priority Pass membership and travel upgrades for long-haul company events are included — a significant perk for frequent travelers.

The Software Alliances team at Canonical works with leading software companies to optimize and enable their products with Ubuntu and other Canonical software, for instance our AI offerings. We develop joint product roadmaps, drive delivery, and formulate go-to-market plans, content and processes, enabling differentiated offerings and robust product life-cycle support anchored to best-in-class Canonical products. Enterprises are able to receive the benefits of open source, securely maintained, and validated solutions from cloud to edge, whether purchased from Canonical, embedded in Alliance partners' products, or accessed through the cloud.

The successful candidate is someone who has demonstrated success in business development or product management, both as a leader and an individual contributor in major accounts. If you are someone who is passionate about open source, can navigate complex new technical challenges, learn quickly, and architect solutions and strategies across global teams, this challenging role is for you. This role is ideal for professionals with 7+ years of experience.

Location: This role will be based remotely in the EMEA region.

The Role Entails

  • Setting the account strategy in a major account, region, and/or vertical.
  • Collaborating with product, engineering, alliance and marketing teams at partners to align on open-source strategies.
  • Capturing partner requirements, evaluating gaps, and identifying Canonical opportunities.
  • Coordinating with marketing and product teams on messaging, content creation, and launch plans.
  • Creating partner- and customer-facing materials like reference architectures, joint blueprints, webinars, presentations, videos, and white papers.
  • Driving Ubuntu adoption within targeted alliance accounts, advocating its benefits to stakeholders and working with partners on enablement training for their development, delivery, support and commercial teams.
  • Influencing alliance partners to build with Canonical technology.
  • Up to 25% travel, including internationally, for internal conferences and to drive partnerships in person.

What We Are Looking For

  • Demonstrated cross-functional leadership and influence.
  • Exceptional academic track record from both high school and university, or a compelling narrative about your alternative chosen path.
  • Bachelor's degree in science, technology and/or engineering.
  • Experience in software development and system architecture.
  • Customer-facing experience in software engineering, product management, business development, technology strategy or similar functions.
  • Excellent communication skills across all levels of stakeholders — individual contributors to the C-suite; ability to grasp complex material and synthesize key points.
  • Ability to think and work at both strategic and tactical levels.
  • Disciplined and self-motivated for a remote-first workplace environment.

Nice-to-Have Skills and Experience

  • Experience with open source software and open source business models.
  • Product management or program management experience.
  • Understanding of marketing and go-to-market strategy.
  • Sector-specific experience in finance, telecommunications, automotive, or public sectors.
  • Working knowledge of independent hardware and software vendor go-to-market motions.
  • Post-graduate degree in science, technology or engineering field.

What We Offer Colleagues

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 recognize 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 2,000 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 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this role truly remote or is there an office requirement?
This role is fully remote within the EMEA region. Canonical has operated as a distributed company since 2004 and there is no office requirement, though up to 25% travel is expected for conferences and in-person partner meetings.
How much travel is required for this position?
Up to 25% travel is expected, including international travel for internal team sprints (held twice per year) and in-person partner engagement. Canonical also provides Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long-haul company events.
What is the salary range for this role?
Canonical has not published a specific salary range for this position. Compensation is determined by geographical location, experience, and performance, and is reviewed annually. A performance-driven annual bonus or commission is also included.
What background is required to be considered for this role?
Canonical is looking for candidates with 7+ years of experience in business development or product management, a bachelor's degree in a STEM field, and customer-facing experience in software engineering, product management, or technology strategy.
Does Canonical offer professional development support?
Yes, Canonical provides a personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year for all team members.
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