C

Software Engineer - Data Infrastructure

Canonical

Remote OK
Home based - EMEA
EMEA
US hours

Hirezar Summary for South African Applicants

This remote ok full time position at Canonical is open across the EMEA region, which includes South Africa. 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><span style="font-weight: 300;">Canonical is building a comprehensive automation suite to provide multi-cloud and on-premise data solutions for the enterprise. The data platform team is a collaborative team that develops a full range of data stores and data technologies, spanning from big data, through NoSQL,&nbsp; cache-layer capabilities, and analytics; all the way to structured SQL engines.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 300;">We are facing the interesting problem of fault-tolerant mission-critical distributed systems and intend to deliver the world's best automation solution for delivering data platforms.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 300;">We have a number of openings ranging anywhere from junior to senior level. We will help you identify a suitable position depending on your experience and interests. Engineers who thrive at Canonical are mindful of open-source community dynamics and equally aware of the needs of large, innovative organisations.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 300;">Location: This role can be filled in European, Middle East and African time zones.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 300;">What your day will look like</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 300;">The data platform team is responsible for the automation of data platform operations. This includes ensuring fault-tolerant replication, TLS, installation, and much more; but also provides domain-specific expertise on the actual data system to other teams within Canonical.&nbsp; This role is focused on the creation and automation of features of data platforms, not analysing the data in them.</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 300;"><span style="font-weight: 300;">Collaborate proactively with a distributed team</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;"><span style="font-weight: 300;">Write high-quality, idiomatic Python code to create new features</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;"><span style="font-weight: 300;">Debug issues and interact with upstream communities publicly</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;"><span style="font-weight: 300;">Work with helpful and talented engineers including experts in many fields</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;"><span style="font-weight: 300;">Discuss ideas and collaborate on finding good solutions</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;"><span style="font-weight: 300;">Work from home with global travel for 2 to 4 weeks per year for internal and external events</span></li>
</ul>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 300;">What we are looking for in you</span></h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 300;"><span style="font-weight: 300;">Proven hands-on experience in software development using Python</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 300;"><span style="font-weight: 300;">Proven hands-on experience in distributed systems&nbsp;</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 300;"><span style="font-weight: 300;">Have a Bachelor’s or equivalent in Computer Science, STEM, or a similar degree</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;"><span style="font-weight: 300;">Willingness to travel up to 4 times a year for internal events</span></li>
</ul>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 300;">Additional skills that you might also bring</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 300;">You might also bring a subset of experience from the following, which will determine the exact role and level we consider you for:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 300;"><span style="font-weight: 300;">Experience</span><span style="font-weight: 300;"> operating and managing data platform technologies like PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, OpenSearch, Kafka, Yugabyte, Trino, Superset, Atlas, Ranger, and Redis</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;"><span style="font-weight: 300;">Experience</span><span style="font-weight: 300;"> with Linux systems administration, package management, and operations</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;"><span style="font-weight: 300;">Experience with the public cloud or a private cloud solution like OpenStack</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 300;"><span style="font-weight: 300;">Experience with operating Kubernetes clusters and a belief that it can be used for serious persistent data services</span></li>
</ul>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 300;">What we offer you</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 300;">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 utilisation. Our compensation philosophy is to ensure equity right across our global workforce.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 300;">In addition to a competitive base pay, we provide all team members with additional benefits, which reflect our values and ideals. Please note that additional benefits may apply de

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.

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 →