About this role.
Canonical is seeking a Junior Project Manager to support the delivery of complex open source software projects, ensuring they meet schedule, scope, budget, and resource expectations. The role involves coordinating with customers and stakeholders, mitigating risks, and advocating for Canonical's technology portfolio. This is a remote-first position within a global, distributed team, requiring strong communication skills and a passion for technology. Ideal candidates are recent graduates or early-career professionals with a technical background and demonstrated leadership potential.
Role DNA
A quick view of the complexity, pace, ownership and collaboration implied by the job description.
Job Complexity
3/5Pace & Pressure
4/5Autonomy Level
3/5Communication Load
4/5Salary analysis
Estimated compensation compared with the broader US market for similar roles.
Core skills
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Cover letter sample
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am excited to apply for the Junior Project Manager position at Canonical. With a strong academic background in a technical field and a demonstrated passion for open source technology, I am eager to contribute to your mission of accelerating the adoption of open source across the enterprise market. I have honed my leadership and communication skills through university projects and personal initiatives, where I learned to drive results and collaborate with diverse teams.
My ability to stay organized, manage competing priorities, and communicate clearly with stakeholders makes me well-suited to support project delivery and ensure customer satisfaction. I understand the importance of proactive risk identification and am committed to maintaining high standards of integrity and accountability. I am also comfortable working in a distributed environment and excited by the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across the world.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of bringing my enthusiasm, curiosity, and result-oriented mindset to Canonical.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Sample interview questions
In my final year of university, I was leading a team project while preparing for exams. I used a prioritization matrix to identify critical tasks, delegated responsibilities to teammates based on strengths, and set up regular check-ins. I also created a shared timeline to track progress. This allowed us to deliver the project on time while I still allocated enough study time for exams.
I would proactively communicate the situation transparently, explaining the root cause and the steps being taken to mitigate the impact. I would present a revised timeline and seek the stakeholder's input on priorities. I would also work to secure their support in escalating the external dependency if needed, while maintaining a collaborative and solution-oriented approach.
Open source represents collaboration, transparency, and community-driven innovation. As a project manager, I would apply these principles by encouraging open communication among stakeholders, fostering a culture of feedback and knowledge sharing, and being transparent about project status and risks. I would also leverage the diverse expertise within the open source community to solve problems creatively.
I once had to explain the benefits of cloud computing to a business-focused audience. I avoided jargon and used analogies, comparing cloud services to utilities like electricity. I also used visual aids and real-world examples. I checked for understanding by asking questions and encouraged the audience to share their concerns, which I then addressed in simpler terms.
I admire Canonical's leadership in open source and the widespread impact of Ubuntu across industries like cloud, AI, and IoT. I am inspired by the company's pioneering approach to remote work and its commitment to quality and innovation. I see this role as an opportunity to grow my project management skills while contributing to a mission I genuinely believe in.
Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation and IoT. Our customers include the world’s leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with 1000+ colleagues in 70+ countries and very few office based roles. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution.
The company is founder led, profitable and growing.
We are hiring a Junior Project Manager
Our mission is to streamline and accelerate the adoption of open source across the entire global enterprise technology market. Our customers embrace the Canonical approach to open source for complex projects on bare metal, on the cloud, and at the edge.
Our Project Managers are responsible for ensuring project success through owning, driving, communicating and respectfully engaging all stakeholders, valuing integrity and accountability.
Within a portfolio of projects with complex and changing software technologies, customer and partner satisfaction is only possible because of exceptional Project Managers who know how to respect and engage all stakeholders.
The role entails
- Ensuring programs and projects are delivered within the schedule, scope, cost, budget and resources expectations
- Supporting in identifying key technical and project risks and issues and actively put mitigating actions in place
- Maintaining strong customer focus and work with all key stakeholders to achieve successful outcomes
- Assisting in conducting regular status meetings and business reviews with customers
- Supporting with the delivery schedule of critical third party deliverables for the project
- Advocating to customers the appropriate technologies from Canonical’s portfolio
What we are looking for in you
The successful Junior Project Manager will have solid academic achievement in science, software engineering and/or information technology field, excellent written and verbal communications skills in English and a solution oriented mindset. You will be able to “make things happen” with a professional approach and effective negotiation techniques. You have demonstrated leadership skills in your school or university life.
- Exceptional academic track record from both high school and university
- Undergraduate degree in a technical subject or a compelling narrative about your alternative chosen path
- Confidence to respectfully speak up, exchange feedback, and share ideas without hesitation
- Track record of going above-and-beyond expectations to achieve outstanding results
- Passion for technology evidenced by personal projects and initiatives
- The work ethic and confidence to shine alongside motivated colleagues
- Professional written and spoken English with excellent presentation skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills, curiosity, flexibility, and accountability
- Appreciative of diversity, polite and effective in a multi-cultural, multi-national organisation
- Thoughtfulness and self-motivation
- Result-oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitments
- Ability to travel internationally twice a year, for company events up to two weeks long
What we offer colleagues
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 recognize outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. 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
- Team Member Assistance Program & Wellness Platform
- 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 of software. 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. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since our 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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