Marketing Team Lead
Canonical
Hirezar Summary for South African Applicants
This remote ok full time position at Canonical is open worldwide, so South Africans can apply. As a remote position, you can work from anywhere in South Africa — whether you're based in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, or a smaller town.
Job Description
<p>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.</p>
<p><strong>The company is founder led, profitable and growing.</strong></p>
<p>Marketers at Canonical are brand stewards and demand creators. They transform complex open-source technology into messages, stories, and strategies that shape the market understanding of our vision. Some focus on differentiated product and portfolio positioning; others specialize in account-based engagement, partner and alliance messaging, or product-led growth. Whatever their specialization, each marketer works as part of a cross-functional unit, contributing campaigns and insights that help the company learn and grow faster.</p>
<p>We have a bias for action, focus efforts on the most impactful activities, and take ownership of our results. We work across long buying cycles, balance storytelling with data, design experiments, track outcomes, and iterate rapidly to find what works.</p>
<p>Marketers at Canonical don’t just promote open source; they amplify it, ensuring our innovations reach the right people, at the right time, with clarity and purpose from developers to decision makers.</p>
<p>As an experienced marketer at Canonical, you’ll lead cross-disciplinary teams of product, partner, or sales professionals in your specific area, from establishing priorities and strategies with senior stakeholders to delivering on integrated campaigns. We are looking for both generalists who want to take ownership of a product portfolio or channel, and for specialists who can help the whole team excel in their domain of expertise.</p>
<p><strong>Location: </strong>This is a globally remote role; you can be based in EMEA, APAC, or the Americas, depending on the team’s location. </p>
<h2>The role entails</h2>
<p>You will take ownership of one of our core marketing tracks and lead both strategy and execution. You’ll ensure campaigns land, launches succeed, and adoption grows, while contributing to the broader go-to-market engine.</p>
<p>You will:</p>
<ul>
<li>Lead GTM strategy and campaign execution in your functional area</li>
<li>Align with product, sales, content, and partner teams to deliver integrated plans</li>
<li>Shape messaging, positioning, and assets that resonate with customers</li>
<li>Design and run experiments to test your hypothesis</li>
<li>Drive major launches, marketing initiatives, and growth programs</li>
<li>Run reviews and retrospectives to improve performance and impact</li>
<li>Mentor colleagues, strengthen the function, and set high standards for delivery</li>
</ul>
<h2>What we are looking for in you</h2>
<ul>
<li>Strong written and verbal communication in English</li>
<li>Exceptional academic track record from high school and university</li>
<li>Proven experience in B2B marketing, ideally in software, SaaS, or open source</li>
<li>Strong track record shaping go-to-market strategy, messaging, and campaigns that move the pipeline</li>
<li>Fast adaptation to change and new technology adoption in marketing</li>
<li>A leader, growing and elevating others across the organization </li>
<li>A solid eye for ROI and effective budget management</li>
<li>Ability to influence and align stakeholders across the organization</li>
<li>Excellent communication and storytelling skills for technical solutions</li>
<li>Skilled at managing complex projects and leading cross-functional teams</li>
<li>Comfortable using data to evaluate campaigns and refine strategy</li>
<li>Proactive, outcome-driven, and confident, operating independently at a global scale</li>
</ul>
<h2>Nice-to-have skills</h2>
<ul>
<li>Background in sales-led or ecosystem growth</li>
<li>Familiarity with ABM (Account-Based Marketing) approaches</li>
<li>Experience leading go-to-market efforts across a large product portfolio</li>
<li>Experience managing budgets, agencies, or external vendors</li>
<li>Understanding of open source communities and business models</li>
<li>Experience mentoring or leading junior marketers</li>
</ul>
<h2>What we offer you</h2>
<p>Your base pay will depend on various factors including your geographical location, level of experience, knowledge and skills. In addition to the benefits above, certain roles are also eligible for additional benefits and rewards including annual bonuses and sales incentives based on revenue or utilization. Our compensation philosophy is to ensure equity r
Tips for South African Applicants
Timezone Advantage
South Africa (SAST, UTC+2) overlaps well with European business hours and has a few hours of overlap with US East Coast. Mention your timezone flexibility in your application.
Salary in Context
Even without a listed salary, international remote roles typically pay 2-3x more than equivalent local positions in South Africa due to the exchange rate advantage.
Application Tips
Tailor your CV to international standards — use a clean format, highlight remote work experience, and include your English proficiency. Many SA applicants succeed by emphasising their strong work ethic and cultural adaptability.
Load Shedding Preparedness
If you're applying for a remote role, having a backup power solution (UPS, inverter, or generator) and mobile data as a backup internet connection shows employers you're prepared for South Africa's infrastructure challenges.
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About Canonical
Canonical is a company in the Operations industry that hires remote workers from South Africa. They currently have 230 open positions on Hirezar. View all Canonical jobs →