Senior Software Engineer Digital Workplace

About Canonical and the Role

Canonical, a leading provider of open source software and operating systems, is seeking a Senior Software Engineer Digital Workplace. This full-time position is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The company is a pioneer in global distributed collaboration, with over 1200 colleagues across 75+ countries. Canonical builds internal systems to the same standards as its public products, emphasizing specification, testing, review, and observability.

Role Overview

The Senior Software Engineer Digital Workplace will contribute to building tomorrow’s technology organization by leveraging experimentation and analytics. This role focuses on developing systems that provide insights into business operations and talent pools, ultimately enhancing the employee experience at Canonical. The ideal candidate will possess an analytical, data-driven mindset and a commitment to connecting and interpreting data from various APIs to optimize processes and ways of working.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and deliver systems and platforms, including intuitive user interfaces.
• Build Go services and APIs that integrate multiple data sources.
• Design data models and architecture for connected systems.
• Transform data into clear dashboards and visualizations.
• Integrate LLM-powered features into daily workflows.
• Write specifications, estimate work, and deliver according to agreed criteria.
• Maintain high standards in code review, testing, and documentation.
• Collaborate with non-technical colleagues to translate needs into functional tools.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to team process improvements.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• 5-10 years of experience in software engineering.

• Deep expertise in at least two of the following areas:

  • Back-end services in Go.
  • Modern front-end engineering (React/Svelte/TypeScript).
  • Data engineering and analytics.
  • Data visualization.
  • Applied LLM/ML in production workflows.
• A commitment to testing, security, performance, and accessibility.
• Ability to handle sensitive people data with discretion.
• Strong written communication skills and effectiveness in a distributed team environment.
• Demonstrated ownership of work from initial specification to production deployment.
• Proven leadership, excellence, and consistency, with the ability to mentor team members.

Work Environment and Company Culture

Canonical operates as a globally distributed company, with most colleagues working remotely since its inception in 2004. Teams convene in person two to four times annually in various international locations for strategic alignment. The company fosters a workplace free from discrimination, valuing diversity of experience, perspectives, and background to enhance both the work environment and product development. Canonical is an equal opportunity employer committed to fair consideration for all applicants.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation at Canonical is determined by geographical location, experience, and performance, with annual reviews to acknowledge outstanding contributions. In addition to base pay, the company offers a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. Canonical provides supplementary benefits designed to align with local needs and ensure global fairness.