Distributed Systems Engineer
Job description
A senior engineering role at Canonical designing and architecting scalable backend services, messaging/data pipelines and REST APIs for IoT environments, with a strong focus on cybersecurity, governance and compliance.
At a glance
- Work mode
- Remote · EMEA
What you'll do
- Design and architect scalable backend services, messaging/data pipelines, and REST APIs using Go or Python, guiding best practices, technical direction, and system scalability
- Proactively address complex challenges of IoT environments: secure connectivity, data streaming, governance, and compliance
- Design and optimize systems using IAM models, encryption, access control, and compliance frameworks (GDPR, HIPAA)
- Design high-throughput, low-latency systems for IoT data processing
- Partner with product teams, engineers, and stakeholders to drive high-impact technical solutions aligned with business objectives
- Mentor junior engineers, foster technical excellence, and contribute to a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and knowledge sharing
What we're looking for
- Deep expertise in cybersecurity principles
- Proven expertise in designing and optimizing systems using IAM models, encryption, access control, and compliance frameworks (GDPR, HIPAA)
- Ability to design decentralized data ownership models, ensuring interoperability and governance across domains
- Experience designing high-throughput, low-latency systems for IoT data processing
- Data streaming technologies (MQTT, Kafka, RabbitMQ)
- Observability tools (OpenTelemetry)
- Industrial/engineering data exchange protocols (OPC-UA, ModBus)
- Familiarity with Ubuntu as a development and deployment platform
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Computer Science, STEM, or a related field
- Willingness to travel up to 4 times a year for internal events
Benefits
- 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
- Performance-driven annual bonus or commission
Apply
About Canonical
A pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source
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. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since our inception in 2004.
Mission
Changing the world of software as the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open-source projects and the platform for AI, IoT, and the cloud
Key facts
- 2004
- Open source software
- Publishes Ubuntu, an open-source project and platform for AI, IoT, and the cloud
- Recruits on a global basis
- Most colleagues have worked from home since inception in 2004
What they value
- Excellence
- Innovation
- Continuous improvement
- Knowledge sharing
- Diversity