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Director, DevOps Engineering

Home based - EMEA

We are on a mission to transform the world of software operations, using Python for next-generation infrastructure-as-code and inventing model-driven operations to enable companies to run very efficient operations both on-premise and on cloud.

In support of that we are looking for a global leader of about 20 devops professionals across three regional teams, focused on software development in the context of production services with mission critical applications and high profile, high-volume users, to improve the efficiency, reliability and speed of open source IT operations.

This team is part of our fully managed operations organisation. They run many private clouds and Kubernetes clusters for customers around the world. This real-world experience of low-level operations with our products enables us to improve our infra-as-code and private cloud offerings based on our own real experience, mirroring that of our users and customers. We work in Python, creating open source operations capabilities that simplify these operations for anybody, worldwide, who is building on Ubuntu.

This team is a true devops team - responsible for real-time global monitoring and network operations of production services. Most of the work involved is pure Python software development, where we expect a focus on quality, design, documentation, tests and performance. The team will be responsible for remote monitoring of infrastructure and applications, using open source products, and improvements to that monitoring capability. The team will also enhance operations code packages, and Ubuntu itself, to ensure our platform is the easiest, most robust, and best performing way to drive your data centre and cloud IT.

As the Director of Devops Engineering, your primary responsibility is to the people you lead and support: ensuring that they are growing as engineers, doing valuable work, and finding satisfaction in their career at Canonical. As a lead for software engineers, technical leadership and a solid background in software development is a must, so that you’re able to challenge and grow your team members. You will have the opportunity to influence the culture, facilitate technical delivery, and work with your team on direction and execution.

What you’ll do

Understand the global state of the art in open source operations
Prioritise our efforts to raise the bar on complex software-defined infrastructure
Ensure processes and training are in place for continuous improvement in our services
Lead and develop three regional teams of engineers spanning all major time zones
Hiring, coaching, mentoring, feedback and hands-on career development
Plan and manage progress on agreed goals and projects
Set and manage expectations with other engineering and operational teams
Coordinate with management and external stakeholders or customers
Advocate modern, agile software development practices
Help develop and evangelize great engineering and organizational practices
Grow a healthy, collaborative engineering culture in line with the company values
Be an active part of the leadership team and collaborate with other leaders in the organisation
Global travel up to 10% of time for internal and external events

Who you are

University degree in Computer Science or related software engineering field
Advanced level Python programming skills
Experience running production operations as SAAS or IT with critical uptime requirements
Experience running production operations for external customers and partners
Familiarity with devops principles and practices
Leadership ability and ability to set and maintain a high standard of excellence in operations
You love developing and growing people and can demonstrate a track record of doing it
You are knowledgeable and passionate about software development
You have experience in leading, coaching and mentoring software developers
You have clarity on the drivers of quality in software engineering and an ability to ensure that
You are organized and want your team to deliver timely software releases
You have solid experience working in an agile development environment
You have a thorough understanding of modern infrastructure, including Kubernetes or OpenStack
You have sound knowledge of cloud computing concepts & technologies
You have practical knowledge of Linux and networking
You have hands-on experience with software automation
You are fluent and comfortable in cloud terminology

What you will learn

OpenStack and Kubernetes in operation
Wide range of open source applications and capabilities
Work directly with customers in a range of different businesses
Real-life and hands-on exposure to a wide range of emerging technologies and tools

About Canonical

Canonical is a growing, international software company that works with the open-source community to deliver Ubuntu -- the world’s #1 cloud operating system. Our mission is to realize the potential of free software in the lives of individuals and organisations. Our services help businesses worldwide to 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 leads to a better environment for our employees and a better platform for our users and customers. This is something we value deeply and we encourage everyone to come be a part of the world of Ubuntu. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

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Director, DevOps Engineering

Home based - EMEA

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