About this role
Job title: Engineering Director
About the Role Canonical is seeking an Engineering Director to own the development and operations of internal software products that underpin Canonical’s business and the Livepatch solution. The Engineering Director will lead the Commercial Systems unit, which is composed of three Golang-based services and closely collaborates with other engineering and business teams. The role focuses on delivering high-quality, scalable software while developing talent across the reporting managers.
What You'll Do
- Lead the Commercial Systems unit, overseeing three software teams (Billing, Contracts, Livepatch) and ensuring alignment with Canonical’s strategy and delivery goals.
- Own end-to-end development and operations of internal software products, with emphasis on reliability, performance, security, and maintainability.
- Guide software engineering managers and their teams in building full-stack services, setting technical direction, reviewing architecture, and fostering engineering excellence.
- Drive roadmaps and architecture for Billing (Go-based service for metrics-to-billable amounts, spend visibility, and billing integration), Contracts (Go-based CPQ and contract storage, integration with CRM and accounting), and Livepatch (delivery of Linux kernel patches via Go client and backend components).
- Ensure cross-team collaboration with Kernel and other Canonical teams to deliver patches and maintain security posture.
- Collaborate with business stakeholders to translate requirements into scalable software solutions that support Canonical’s growth.
- Mentor and develop direct reports, cultivating a culture of learning, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Communicate progress, risks, and strategy to senior leadership and influence organizational priorities.
What We're Looking For
- Track record of delivering full-stack software services with high engineering quality standards.
- Experience leading multiple software teams (three teams) and managing software engineering managers.
- Strong backend development skills with Golang; experience with microservices, APIs, and distributed systems.
- Experience building and operating billing systems and CPQ capabilities; familiarity with CRM and accounting integrations.
- Knowledge of Linux kernel patch delivery (Livepatch) or related security patching processes and ability to work with Kernel teams.
- Excellent collaboration, communication, and leadership skills; comfortable working in a remote/EMEA environment.
- Ability to translate business needs into technical roadmaps and drive execution across teams.