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UX Designer – Developer experience

AI Summary
Canonical is seeking a UX Designer focused on improving the developer experience for tools used to build, package, and maintain open-source software. The role partners closely with engineering and product teams to simplify complex technical products, apply UX heuristics, and evolve shared design systems. The designer will conduct and apply user research, advocate for design decisions, and communicate effectively with technical and executive stakeholders. This is a remote EMEA role within a globally distributed company, with twice-yearly in-person team events and international travel expected. The position emphasizes strong academic achievement, technical curiosity, independent delivery, and continuous learning.
Remote from
EMEA
Salary
Undisclosed
Employment
Full Time
Experience
Open level
Published
Apply before
7 Dec 2026
Listing views
32
Application actions
2
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Opportunity details

About this role.

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 1200+ colleagues in 75+ 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 UX Designer for Developer Experience to work with the exceptional engineering teams at Canonical and have a vital role in improving how software is built and distributed globally.

Our design team is on a mission to turn complex, open-source software into efficient, intuitive products that can change how complex systems are built and what open source is capable of for enterprise IT. We are looking for a talented and technically minded user experience designer, who shares our ambitions.

This role sits in the design team reporting to the Developer Experience design manager.

Location: This role will be based remotely in the EMEA region.

The role entails

  • Designing and building tools that enable everyone to build, package and maintain their own software, with a focus on Open Source.
  • Collaborating with product managers and engineers to shape the future of developer experience
  • Supporting deeply complex products with the process of design and UX heuristics
  • Working to evolve and evangelise design systems that drive consistency and efficiency
  • Understanding the broader scope of your work and its numerous interconnected constraints
  • Supporting one of our working groups to enable Canonical design’s horizontal efforts

What we are looking for in you

  • Exceptional academic track record from both high school and university
  • Bachelor’s or equivalent in User Experience, Design, or STEM or a compelling narrative about your alternative chosen path
  • Knowledge and passion for user experience, technology and design
  • Commitment to continuous learning and improvement – curious, flexible, scientific
  • Result-oriented with a drive to finish work and celebrate success
  • Confidence in user research practices
  • Engagement with the latest design research and innovation
  • Ability to travel internationally twice a year, for company events up to two weeks long

UX designers should be excellent communicators who are at ease working with a complex mix of engineers, designers and executives. They represent us at cross-functional company meetings and must present their design position with clarity and precision. They should be confident and excited to take on complex design challenges. They should also be able to connect their design leadership to the strategic vision of the company.

Read more about the design team

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.

#LI-remote

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This job listing has been manually reviewed by the Jobicy Trust & Safety Team for compliance with our posting guidelines, including verification of the company's legitimacy, accuracy of job details, clarity of remote work policy, and absence of misleading or fraudulent content.

Role DNA

A quick view of the complexity, pace, ownership and collaboration implied by the job description.

Job Complexity

4/5
EasyHard

Pace & Pressure

4/5
RelaxedFast-paced

Autonomy Level

4/5
GuidedFull ownership

Communication Load

5/5
IndependentCollaborative
AI insightThe role requires making complex developer-facing and open-source systems intuitive while balancing interconnected technical constraints. Success depends on strong independent judgment and the ability to persuade engineers, product managers, and executives with clear design rationale.

Salary analysis

Estimated compensation compared with the broader US market for similar roles.

Estimated job median (per year)Market rate
$105,000
US market range (per year)$80k–$135k
AI insightThe yearly pay period is inferred from the job context; it was not explicitly stated by the employer. No employer base-pay amount is disclosed. The annual figures are estimated USD market compensation for a mid-to-senior UX designer specializing in developer tools; the yearly cadence is inferred from the full-time professional role and standard salary conventions.

Core skills

Skills and capabilities most closely associated with this opportunity.

Sample interview questions
How would you approach improving the user experience of a complex developer tool with many interconnected workflows?

I would begin by understanding the primary user groups, their goals, and the highest-friction workflows through interviews, usability studies, support data, and product analytics where available. I would map the end-to-end journey, identify pain points and dependencies, then prototype and test focused improvements iteratively with representative users.

Describe how you have collaborated with engineers on a technically complex product.

I involve engineers early to understand constraints, implementation options, and technical terminology before finalizing designs. I use clear flows, annotated prototypes, and regular design reviews to make decisions transparent, while remaining open to alternatives that preserve user outcomes and improve feasibility.

What makes a design system effective for a distributed organization?

An effective design system has clear principles, reusable accessible components, practical documentation, and an ownership model that supports contribution without sacrificing consistency. In a distributed organization, asynchronous decision records, predictable review processes, and examples of real implementation are especially important.

How do you defend a design decision when stakeholders disagree?

I connect the decision to user evidence, business goals, accessibility, and known technical constraints rather than presenting it as personal preference. I listen to the concerns, clarify the trade-offs, and propose a lightweight experiment or usability test when evidence is incomplete.

How would you conduct user research with busy developers across different regions and time zones?

I would combine synchronous interviews with asynchronous methods such as short surveys, recorded prototype tasks, written feedback, and review of issue or support-channel patterns. I would keep requests focused, respect participants' time, recruit across relevant experience levels, and share concise findings that clearly connect evidence to design priorities.

This analysis is generated from the job description. Salary estimates, role characteristics and sample answers are guidance, not employer-provided facts.
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