Senior Bootloader & System Engineer - Ubuntu Linux

Home based - Americas, EMEA

We are seeking an experienced software engineer passionate about Linux systems, hardware architectures, Ubuntu, and the open source community, to join the Ubuntu Foundations Engineering team to maintain and enhance Ubuntu bootloader stack to provide fast, reliable and secure Ubuntu systems on all devices and in the cloud. 

The boot process is one of the most critical aspects of any operating system where stability, reliability and security are paramount. Its efficiency and quality contribute to Ubuntu’s success from Desktop, Server to the Cloud. We are expanding our Foundations team to focus our efforts on this essential function and are looking for people passionate about lower level technologies from the hardware, to the firmware, and Linux itself, involved in an operating system startup. Applicants should be comfortable working with Secure Boot, Measured Boot, Full Disk Encryption and other technologies used during modern operating systems boot process.

This is highly technical work, and we are looking for a colleague with a very careful and systematic approach to their software. This work is critical to system security and reliability.

The Ubuntu Foundations Team delivers and maintains the core of the Ubuntu system, the base for the entire Ubuntu family of products and services. Ubuntu strives to deliver the latest and best free software components, in an easy to use and highly reliable form. We build on the technical excellence of Debian and bring additional focus and shape to the solutions we offer industry. 

As a Linux System Engineer, you will work on the architecture, design and development of core components involved in the boot and startup of the Ubuntu Distribution, often interacting with the upstream community for projects like Grub, shim and u-boot. You will be discussing design with other team members and mentor less senior engineers and participate in code reviews and design reviews.  You will also be working with other teams to ensure architecture decisions improve the overall performance and experience of Ubuntu.

What you’ll do

  • Collaborate proactively with a distributed team
  • Work with highly technical team to define and shape the boot architecture of Ubuntu
  • Work with teams focused on Ubuntu for server, desktop, IoT and clouds 
  • Write high quality code to create new features and contribute upstream
  • Contribute to feature and bug fixes in projects including Grub, shim, u-boot and associated tools.
  • Debug issues and produce high quality fixes
  • Review code produced by other engineers
  • Discuss ideas and collaborate on finding good solutions
  • Work from home with global travel 2 to 4 weeks a year for internal and external events

Valued skills, approach and experience

  • Development experience with early boot software like TF-A, OP-TEE, U-Boot, shim, GRUB, or the Linux kernel.
  • Experience on non x86 platforms such as ARM, RISC-V
  • A love of technology and working with brilliant people
  • Motivated, curious, flexible, articulate, and accountable
  • A long-time Linux user with broad interests in the future of Linux
  • Experience or interest in learning how to package software for Debian and Ubuntu
  • You have a Bachelor’s or equivalent in Computer Science, STEM or similar degree
  • Enterprising, thoughtful, and self-motivated

What Canonical offers:

  • Personal learning and development budget 
  • Annual compensation review
  • Recognition rewards
  • Annual leave
  • Priority Pass for travel

Canonical is a growing international software company that works with the open-source community to deliver Ubuntu, the world’s best free software platform. Our services help businesses worldwide reduce costs, improve efficiency and enhance security with Ubuntu.

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-remote

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf


Education

Select...
Select...
Select...

Select...
Select...
Select...

Universities around the world score degrees in different ways. Please indicate your result, or expected result if you are close to graduation, along with information about the grading system.

Select...

Please note that if you require any accommodation for travel that relates to a physical disability please do let us know during your hiring process and we will be happy to discuss your requirements further.

Select...
Select...

Please select your current location from the dropdown.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Canonical’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.