Jobs · Full-time

Engineering Standards Lead at Canonical - Remote EMEA — Columbus

LocationColumbus
CompanyCanonical
Sourcejobicy
Posted2026-11-07 15:22:50

Traveler-Friendly Insight

Fully async-friendly and location-independent since 2004: Canonical is one of the most established remote-first companies in tech, meaning the culture, tooling, and workflows are genuinely built around distributed work — not bolted on. This role explicitly covers EMEA, Americas, and LATAM timezones, giving you enormous flexibility about where and when you work.

Timezone flexibility: The broad regional coverage (from the Americas to Africa/Middle East) suggests async communication is the default. Expect some overlap windows with European and US colleagues, but rigid 9-to-5 schedules are unlikely. This suits nomads operating across multiple continents.

Visa considerations: With no specific country required, digital nomad visas are well-suited here. Popular options include:

  • Portugal (D8 visa) — popular base for EMEA-timezone work, affordable compared to Western Europe
  • Colombia (digital nomad visa) — covers LATAM timezone easily; Medellín offers strong coworking infrastructure
  • UAE (virtual working program) — tax-free, excellent travel connections across EMEA

Travel perks are real: Canonical offers Priority Pass travel upgrades and funds travel to team "sprints" — periodic in-person meetups — which integrates naturally into a nomadic lifestyle rather than conflicting with it.

The $2,000/year L&D budget can cover coworking memberships or professional certifications. No explicit equipment stipend is mentioned, so confirm this during hiring.

Lead our effort to get Ubuntu fit for applications in automotive, aerospace, industrial robotics and other highly regulated environments.

Ubuntu is already the world's most widely used Linux in general; we want to make it the world's best choice for mission-critical systems in these sectors too.

To achieve this, we are investing in processes and engineering, tools and analysis, practices and people. Success in this effort will secure open-source software's place at the highest tables in industry, where the complex demands of regulation, compliance and certification are demonstrably met.

We're seeking someone to lead this effort. In this role you will transform those complex demands into concrete outcomes, and in turn into engineering excellence values and practices that will bring those outcomes about.

This is not a paper exercise; it means leading and challenging engineering culture, working with teams across the organisation. Your work will make those practices come alive, at every level of engineering. You will bring a passion for engineering excellence and open-source software, and the ability to unify agile approaches across multiple projects and teams. Under your leadership, teams will adopt and internalise these values as their own.

Through your work, you will help define Canonical's ways of working, collaborating with engineering leadership to describe and implement continuous improvement processes, and establish qualification requirements in support of engineering quality standards. You will define methods and approaches for measuring quality, and use them to shape and sharpen engineering culture.

Beyond Canonical, you will establish strategic relations with external working groups, committees and partners.

You will join the industrial standards team at Canonical and work closely with company-wide engineering leadership to define and deliver this vision.

Location: This role may be held anywhere in European, Middle Eastern, African or Americas regions or time zones.

What we are looking for in you
  • Strong experience in engineering and process management in an agile environment
  • Knowledge or certification of standards addressing quality of software artifacts such as ISO/IEC 25010 or ASPICE
  • Passion for developing and growing people and teams, with a proven track record
  • Experience leading successful compliance and certification efforts, with strong understanding of process and stakeholder management
  • Experience with Linux
Additional skills that you might also bring
  • Background as a software developer
  • Experience establishing product engineering development metrics and KPIs
  • Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills
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 below, 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 $2,000 USD 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 on a daily basis. 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.

Canonical has been a remote-first company since its inception in 2004. Work at Canonical is a step into the future, and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game. Canonical provides a unique window into the world of 21st-century digital business.

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 fully remote or are there office requirements?
This role is fully remote with no office requirement. Canonical has operated as a remote-first company since 2004 and this position can be held anywhere within European, Middle Eastern, African, or Americas time zones.
What compliance standards experience is required for this role?
Canonical is looking for knowledge or certification in standards that address software quality artifacts, specifically citing ISO/IEC 25010 and ASPICE. Prior experience leading compliance and certification efforts in regulated industries is also required.
Does this role involve travel?
Yes — Canonical offers opportunities to travel to meet colleagues at 'sprints' (periodic in-person team meetups) and provides Priority Pass for travel and upgrades for long-haul company events.
What industries will this role focus on?
The primary focus is on making Ubuntu suitable for mission-critical systems in automotive, aerospace, and industrial robotics sectors, as well as other highly regulated environments requiring compliance and certification.
Is there a professional development budget?
Yes, Canonical provides a personal learning and development budget of $2,000 USD per year for all team members.
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