About this role.
This is an Engineering Manager role for Ubuntu Security at Canonical, responsible for leading a team of security engineers to protect the open-source ecosystem. The role involves managing vulnerability responses, developing security projects, and collaborating with upstream communities. The ideal candidate has a strong technical background, leadership experience, and a passion for security. This position offers a distributed work environment and opportunities for professional growth.
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Cover letter sample
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am writing to express my strong interest in the Engineering Manager - Ubuntu Security position at Canonical. With a solid background in software development and a deep passion for open-source security, I am excited about the opportunity to lead a team dedicated to protecting the Ubuntu ecosystem. My experience includes managing engineering teams, driving vulnerability remediation, and collaborating with upstream projects to enhance security posture.
In my previous role, I led a team of engineers in developing and implementing security measures that reduced vulnerabilities by 30%. I thrive in fast-paced environments and am skilled at mentoring team members to achieve their full potential. I am confident that my technical expertise and leadership abilities align perfectly with the requirements of this role.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of contributing to Canonical's mission and making a tangible impact on global security.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Sample interview questions
I believe in fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth. I regularly conduct one-on-ones to understand each engineer's career aspirations and provide tailored opportunities, such as leading a security project or attending relevant conferences. I also implement peer review and knowledge-sharing sessions to build a collaborative environment.
I use a risk-based approach, assessing the severity, exploitability, and impact of each CVE. I communicate with stakeholders to align on priorities and allocate resources accordingly. I also ensure we have automated processes for triage and coordinate with upstream maintainers for patches.
In a previous role, two engineers had a disagreement over the implementation approach for a security feature. I facilitated a meeting where each could present their reasoning, then guided the team to a consensus by focusing on the project goals and technical trade-offs. We ended up adopting a hybrid approach that satisfied both.
I have actively contributed to several open source projects, including submitting patches and participating in mailing lists. I encourage my team to engage with upstream communities, follow their guidelines, and contribute back improvements. We also track our changes to ensure they are merged upstream when appropriate.
I track metrics such as mean time to resolve CVEs, number of vulnerabilities found and fixed, and team velocity on security projects. Additionally, I monitor team health indicators like employee satisfaction and retention. Regular retrospectives help us continuously improve.
As the most widely used Linux distribution, Ubuntu underpins the security of the entire internet. The role of Security Engineering Manager directly impacts the safety and security of millions of users worldwide. Join a team of security experts dedicated to protecting the open-source ecosystem and driving innovation. Your leadership will be instrumental in addressing emerging threats, developing robust security measures, and ensuring the continued integrity of Ubuntu. This is an opportunity to make a tangible difference and leave a lasting legacy on the digital landscape. The security engineering team’s first responsibility is to respond to emerging threats and aim to secure the open source ecosystem for community and enterprise use. Your work will improve the security of millions of people, by addressing potential CVEs and vulnerabilities alongside the lifecycle of Canonical products such as Ubuntu. You will engage directly with our community and customers, as well as coordinating efforts across multiple engineering teams and projects to make this happen.
An Engineering Manager is responsible for line management and career guidance. The ability to develop engineering talent, to represent your team and product from a technical perspective, and to drive collaboration with other teams and customers are all critical to success in this role.
What you will do in this role
- Lead and develop a team of engineers, ranging from graduate to senior
- Provide technical guidance on vulnerability remediation
- Drive the development of new security engineering projects
- Work with upstream open source projects on vulnerability lifecycle handling
- Coach, mentor, and offer career development feedback
- Identify and measure team health indicators
- Implement disciplined engineering processes
- Represent your team and product to stakeholders, partners, and customers
- Develop and evangelise great engineering and organisational practices
- Plan and manage progress on agreed goals and projects
- Be an active part of the security engineering leadership team, collaborating with other leaders
What we are looking for in you
- 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
- Drive, and a track record of going above-and-beyond expectations
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
- A love of developing and growing people and a track record of it
- Organised and able to ensure your team delivers timely, high quality results
- Professional manner interacting with colleagues, partners, and community
- Solid background in software development, including expertise in support and maintenance
- Mastery in any programming language (Go, Java, C, Python, …)
- Knowledgeable and passionate about software and application security
- Solid experience working in an agile development environment
- A demonstrated drive for continual learning
- Builds trust, relationships and confidence
- Result-oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitments
- Ability to travel twice a year, for company events up to two weeks each
Optional things we value
- Strong technical understanding of the inner-workings of Linux distributions (ideally Ubuntu or Debian)
What we offer you
We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide. We revisit compensation annually (and more often for graduates and associates) to ensure we recognise outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus. We provide all team members with additional benefits, which reflect our values and ideals. We balance our programs to meet local needs and ensure fairness globally.
- Distributed work environment with twice-yearly team sprints in person
- Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year
- Annual compensation review
- Recognition rewards
- Annual holiday leave
- Maternity and paternity leave
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues
- Priority Pass, and travel upgrades for long haul company events
About Canonical
Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open source projects and the platform for AI, IoT and the cloud, we are changing the world on a daily basis. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence – in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do. Canonical has been a remote-first company since its inception in 2004. Working here is a step into the future, and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.
Canonical is an equal opportunity employer
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.
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