Original listing text, shown exactly as published by the company.
The Role
We are looking for a Software Engineering Manager to lead the Ubuntu Foundations Package Management team.
This is a technical leadership role combining people management with active engineering involvement. You will lead a team of experienced engineers responsible for the package management and system lifecycle technologies that underpin Ubuntu. Working closely with stakeholders across Ubuntu Engineering, you will define technical direction, grow engineering talent, build strong cross-team partnerships, and ensure the continued evolution of Ubuntu's software, driver, firmware, and upgrade experience.
You will report to the Ubuntu Foundations Engineering director and collaborate closely with other Ubuntu Engineering teams, including Desktop, Server, Security, Release Engineering, Launchpad, Debcrafters, OEM, and Product.
What You’ll Do
Technical Leadership
- Define the technical vision and roadmap for Ubuntu's package management and system lifecycle platform
- Participate in design reviews and key technical decisions affecting software management and system lifecycle technologies across the Ubuntu ecosystem
- Promote high standards for performance, reliability, security, and maintainability
Team Leadership
- Lead and support a team of engineers responsible for key Ubuntu platform technologies.
- Mentor and grow engineers, helping them expand their technical leadership, ownership, and organizational impact
- Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement
Delivery and Engineering Excellence
- Plan and deliver improvements across multiple Ubuntu release cycles
- Balance innovation with stability, compatibility, and long-term maintainability
- Improve test automation, release quality, and operational reliability
Collaboration and Community
- Build strong partnerships across Ubuntu Engineering, including Release Engineering, Launchpad, Desktop, Server, Security, OEM, and Product teams
- Collaborate with Debian, upstream projects, and the Ubuntu open source community
What We Are Looking For
Required
- An exceptional academic track record from both high school and university
- Undergraduate degree in Computer Science or STEM, or a compelling narrative about your alternative path
- Strong background in software engineering and system design
- Experience leading engineering teams, including people management, coaching, and performance development
- Experience developing or operating Linux distribution technologies, package management systems, or software distribution infrastructure
- Strong understanding of systems software and operating system architecture
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work effectively in a globally distributed engineering team
- Ability to travel twice a year, for company events up to two weeks each
Nice to Have
- Familiarity with package repositories, archives, or release engineering processes
- Experience contributing to Debian, Ubuntu, or other open source infrastructure projects
- Performance, reliability, or security engineering experience
We know that strong candidates may not meet every qualification. If you are excited by this role and our mission, we encourage you to apply.
What Success Looks Like
First 3 Months
- Build strong relationships with the team and stakeholders across Ubuntu Engineering
- Gain a deep understanding of Ubuntu package management, update flows, archive interactions, and release processes
- Identify key improvement opportunities in reliability, test coverage, engineering processes, and product quality
First 6 to 12 Months
- Establish strong partnerships with stakeholders across Ubuntu Engineering, including Release Engineering, Launchpad, Desktop, Server, Security, OEM, and Product
- Grow the team and raise the overall level of engineering excellence, ownership, and technical leadership
- Improve roadmap clarity, planning, and execution across the team's portfolio
- Deliver meaningful improvements to Ubuntu's package management and system lifecycle platform
