Engineering Director, Ubuntu Desktop at

2 months ago


Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya Canonical Full time

We are looking for a Director, Ubuntu Desktop Engineering to lead our mission to provide the finest open source desktop experience and developer platform for users. This role involves overseeing the strategy, architecture, and roadmap for various engineering teams specializing in Rust, C/C++, Flutter, and Golang.

  • Seeking a technical leader with extensive understanding of Linux graphics technology, system architecture, and security capabilities
  • Looking for an individual passionate about user experience, performance engineering, and consumer applications for different devices such as tablets, mobile, desktop, and remote computing environments
  • Focusing on delivering the best out-of-the-box experience for Linux on laptops and workstations
  • Building new desktop capabilities emphasizing performance, resource efficiency, media codecs, and user experience
  • Seeking a director of engineering with exceptional leadership, management qualities, and a clear vision for the future of open source desktop
  • Responsibilities include agreeing on strategies for Ubuntu desktop editions, guiding architecture for next-gen desktop services, and prioritizing new open source capabilities
  • Coordinating roadmap across Ubuntu and Canonical products with wider engineering leadership
  • Engaging with silicon vendors to enable future desktop hardware

What we are looking for:

  • Exceptional academic background and a degree in software engineering or related field
  • Passion for desktop and graphics technology with proven leadership and excellence in operations
  • Proficient in written and spoken English with outstanding presentation skills
  • Deep operational experience with Linux
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, curiosity, flexibility, and accountability
  • Result-oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitments
  • Thoughtfulness, self-motivation, and ability to travel occasionally for company events

Additional Skills We Value:

  • Software engineering management and leadership across multiple products and teams
  • Insights in Rust, Golang, or C/C++ architecture, performance, and quality engineering
  • Experience and insights in Flutter and Dart community
  • Deep technical knowledge of graphics hardware and software layers in Linux


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