Software Engineer - L3 Support
WFA Digital Insight
Canonical’s L3 Support Engineer role sits at the heart of the Ubuntu ecosystem, where the most intricate Linux‑based problems surface. Unlike a typical help‑desk job, this position expects you to dive deep into kernel quirks, Ceph storage bugs, and Kubernetes networking challenges, often collaborating directly with upstream communities to push fixes forward. The remote‑first culture means you’ll be part of a truly global engineering group, meeting colleagues across time zones only a few times a year in person. Candidates who combine solid Linux expertise with a willingness to navigate unfamiliar stacks and contribute code upstream will find this role uniquely rewarding, especially given Canonical’s commitment to open‑source excellence.
Job Description
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 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. The company is founder-led, profitable, and growing. We are hiring a Software Engineer - L3 Support to… …work in a dynamic and exciting engineering role in Linux-based infrastructure and applications, covering all layers of the stack, including bare metal, virtualization (KVM), containerization (Docker/LXC/LXD), storage (Ceph and Linux filesystems), networking (OVS, OVN and Core networking), OpenStack, Kubernetes and the open source applications running on top of them. It will challenge you to show the breadth of your engineering skills, which will be needed to work on almost any aspect of Ubuntu and the open source applications large enterprise customers run. This role is an opportunity for a technologist with a passion for Linux and open source to build a career with Canonical and drive success for our customers, community and the company. If you have an affinity for open source software, great communication skills, and a passion for troubleshooting and fixing issues in technology used by millions across the world, then you will enjoy working with some of the best people in the industry at Canonical. This role deals with critical issues in the open source stack that require upstream bug fixes. Our engineers are able to work productively at any level of the stack including the kernel and in a wide range of languages, to understand and address the software issues at hand. Our group is critical to the success of our customers, partners and Ubuntu itself. You will help with troubleshooting and driving issues to resolution with workarounds, guidance, and bug fixes to be released upstream and in Ubuntu.
Location
This is a remote role, we have teams in all time zones. The role entails Resolve complex customer problems related to Ubuntu, Kernel, Ceph, OpenStack, or Kubernetes and other open source software Maintain a close working relationship with Canonical's Field, Support and product engineering teams Participate in upstream communities Develop bug fixes, backport patches, and work with upstream for inclusion Review code produced by other engineers Demonstrate good judgment in technical methods and techniques Prioritize work and manage your time effectively against those priorities Participate in team discussions to improve processes, tools, and documentation Maintain clear, technical and concise communications Work from home and travel internationally up to 10% of work time for team meetings, events and conferences What we are looking for in you An exceptional academic track record Background in Computer Science, STEM or similar Experience with Linux and open source software Experience with at least one of Python, Go, C or C++ on Linux A drive to learn unfamiliar technology and deep-dive difficult issues Willingness to travel up to 4 times a year for internal events Nice-to-have skills You love technology and working with brilliant people You are curious, flexible, articulate, and accountable You value soft skills and are passionate, enterprising, thoughtful, and self-motivated You have interest in, or willingness to learn about any of the following: Ubuntu Linux - kernel or userspace, Kubernetes, OpenStack, Ceph, QEMU/KVM, LXC/LXD,Postgresql, Mongo, Debian packaging, distributed systems 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. 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 Employee Assistance Programme & 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. #LI-RemoteHow to Stand Out
- Highlight any contributions you have made to upstream projects (patches, bug reports, mailing‑list activity) in your résumé.
- Prepare concrete examples of troubleshooting Linux kernel or storage issues; interviewers often ask you to walk through a past incident.
- Demonstrate proficiency in at least one of the listed languages (Python, Go, C/C++) by sharing relevant code snippets or GitHub repos.
- Emphasize clear written communication skills; you may be asked to draft a mock support response during the interview.
- Research Canonical’s recent Ubuntu releases and be ready to discuss how new features could impact enterprise customers.
- When negotiating, ask about the remote‑work stipend and professional development budget, as these are standard parts of Canonical’s package.
- Watch for any indication that the role expects extensive on‑call duties; clarify expectations around on‑call rotations early in the process.
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