Technical Manager – Automotive and Industrial

Company

Canonical

Salary / Compensation

Overview / Job Description

Canonical is the company behind Ubuntu, one of the world’s leading open-source operating systems powering cloud computing, AI, IoT, and enterprise infrastructure. As a global, remote-first organization, Canonical develops secure, scalable open-source technologies for industries including automotive, industrial automation, cloud, and embedded systems.

This is a full-time remote Technical Manager – Automotive and Industrial position focused on leading Canonical’s engineering efforts within the automotive and industrial sectors. The successful candidate will define engineering strategy, manage globally distributed engineering teams, ensure compliance with automotive and industrial safety standards, collaborate with Product Management, and represent Canonical within the automotive open-source ecosystem. The role combines technical leadership, engineering management, product strategy, and industry advocacy.

Responsibilities

Engineering Strategy & Roadmap

• Collaborate with Product Management to define the long-term automotive strategy
• Develop and execute the engineering roadmap for Canonical’s Automotive team
• Align engineering initiatives with business objectives and customer requirements
• Drive continuous innovation across automotive and industrial products

Engineering Leadership & Team Management

• Build, lead, and mentor a globally distributed team of software engineers
• Provide coaching, feedback, and hands-on technical leadership
• Support employee growth through mentoring and professional development
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing engineering culture
• Manage team priorities, performance, and project execution

Automotive & Industrial Product Development

• Lead the development of Linux-based automotive and industrial solutions
• Drive Canonical’s open-source software strategy for automotive markets
• Ensure Ubuntu and related products meet automotive and industrial requirements
• Support secure, reliable, and high-quality software delivery across embedded platforms

Compliance & Industry Standards

• Ensure engineering processes comply with relevant automotive and industrial standards
• Support compliance with standards including:
  • IEC 61508
  • ISO 9001
  • ISO 21434
  • UNECE R155 & R156
  • ISO 26262 (ASIL B–D)
  • ASPICE
• Promote best practices in cybersecurity, functional safety, quality assurance, and certification

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Product Management, Engineering, and Executive Leadership
• Coordinate activities across multiple engineering teams
• Set expectations with internal stakeholders and external partners
• Support organizational alignment and strategic decision-making

Technical Leadership & Process Improvement

• Advocate for modern Agile software development practices
• Improve engineering processes, delivery quality, and developer experience
• Promote software quality, security, and continuous improvement
• Help define and evangelize engineering best practices across Canonical

Industry Representation

• Represent Canonical and Ubuntu within the automotive and industrial communities
• Participate in industry standards organizations and technical consortia
• Engage with customers, partners, and industry stakeholders
• Promote Canonical’s automotive technologies at conferences and events

Requirements

Experience

• Strong background in software engineering, Linux, and open-source technologies
• Experience leading software engineering teams
• Proven track record of delivering high-quality software on schedule
• Experience managing, mentoring, and coaching software developers
• Experience working within Agile software development environments
• Practical experience in automotive software development and embedded systems

Technical Skills

• Deep knowledge of Linux operating systems and package management
• Strong understanding of embedded software development
• Experience programming with:
  • C
  • C++
  • Python
• Knowledge of cloud technologies and automotive software trends
• Experience with functional safety and secure software development

Automotive & Industry Knowledge

• Knowledge of automotive and industrial standards including:
  • ISO 21434
  • ISO 26262
  • SOTIF
  • IEC 61508
  • ASPICE
• Experience leading product development initiatives requiring compliance with industry standards
• Understanding of automotive cybersecurity and safety certification processes

Leadership & Competencies

• Strong people leadership and mentoring abilities
• Excellent strategic planning and decision-making skills
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to influence technical direction across multiple teams
• Strong organizational and project management capabilities
• Ability to balance technical leadership with business priorities
• Passion for open-source software and engineering excellence

Work Requirements

• Comfortable working in a globally distributed remote environment
• Ability to travel internationally twice per year for company events (up to two weeks each trip)

Candidate Profile

You SHOULD Apply If

• You have significant experience leading software engineering teams
• You are passionate about Linux, open-source technologies, and embedded systems
• You have worked within the automotive or industrial software industries
• You enjoy coaching and developing engineering talent
• You thrive in highly technical leadership roles
• You enjoy defining engineering strategy and driving execution
• You have experience working with safety-critical or compliance-driven software
• You are comfortable representing your company within industry organizations
• You enjoy collaborating across technical, product, and executive teams
• You are excited about shaping the future of automotive open-source technology

You Should NOT Apply If

• You prefer individual contributor roles over people management
• You have limited experience with Linux or open-source software
• You are unfamiliar with automotive or industrial software development
• You are uncomfortable leading globally distributed engineering teams
• You dislike working with regulatory standards and compliance requirements
• You prefer highly defined tasks rather than strategic leadership responsibilities
• You are unable to travel internationally when required

Other Information

Additional Benefits / Highlights

• Fully remote work environment (remote-first since 2004)
• Competitive global compensation philosophy
• Annual performance and compensation reviews
• Eligibility for annual bonuses and incentives (where applicable)
• USD $2,000 annual learning and professional development budget
• Recognition and rewards programs
• Annual paid holiday leave
• Parental leave
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Twice-yearly international engineering sprints and company gatherings
• Priority Pass membership and travel upgrades for long-haul company events
• Opportunity to lead globally distributed engineering teams
• Work on cutting-edge automotive, embedded Linux, cloud, AI, and IoT technologies
• Influence the future of open-source software within the automotive and industrial sectors
• Career growth within one of the world’s leading open-source technology companies