MLOps Field Engineer at Canonical

Role Overview

Canonical, a pioneering technology company renowned for Ubuntu, is seeking an MLOps Field Engineer. This critical role involves assisting global enterprises in adopting AI/ML solutions, leveraging cutting-edge open-source technologies on public and private cloud infrastructures, Linux, and Kubernetes. The successful candidate will join a global Field Engineering team, applying expert insights to solve complex customer problems and drive the adoption of Ubuntu, Kubeflow, MLFlow, Feast, DVC, and other analytics, machine learning, and data technologies. Canonical fosters a globally distributed collaboration model with over 1200 colleagues in 75+ countries, emphasizing remote work and bi-annual in-person team gatherings in various global locations.

This position is ideal for MLOps engineers with a strong business acumen who enjoy customer interactions and solving architectural challenges during the presales cycle. It is a solutions architecture role, focused on designing sophisticated ML architectures for external customers, rather than pure software development. We are particularly interested in individuals driven by commercial success and passionate about tackling the most difficult problems in modern data architectures, such as training LLMs across hybrid cloud Kubernetes clusters with GPU sharing, processing millions of real-time financial transactions, or performing object detection on parallel 4K video streams.

What Your Day Will Look Like (Responsibilities)

• Act as a Linux and cloud solutions architect, designing private and public cloud solutions tailored to customer workload needs.
• Engage hands-on with technologies by deploying, testing, and ensuring smooth handover of solutions to support or managed services teams.
• Utilize Python for developing Kubernetes operators and Linux open-source infrastructure-as-code.
• Work across the entire Linux stack, from the kernel, networking, and storage to various applications.
• Architect robust cloud infrastructure solutions including Kubernetes, Kubeflow, OpenStack, and Spark.
• Deliver solutions both on-premise and within major public cloud environments like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.
• Gather customer business requirements and provide expert advice on Ubuntu and relevant open-source applications.
• Contribute to fostering a healthy, collaborative engineering culture aligned with company values.
• Deliver compelling presentations and demonstrations of Ubuntu Pro and advanced AI/ML capabilities to prospective and existing clients.
• Collaborate with product teams, providing feedback to influence product roadmaps based on customer requirements.
• Work synergistically with sales teams to achieve common targets.
• Undertake global travel up to 30% of the time for internal company events, external conferences, and customer meetings.

What We Are Looking For In You (Requirements)

• Exceptional academic performance from both high school and university, or a compelling alternative career path.
• An undergraduate degree in a technical discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in data engineering, MLOps, or the deployment of big data solutions.
• Proficiency with a relevant programming language such as Python, R, or Rust.
• Confidence to respectfully voice opinions, exchange feedback, and share innovative ideas.
• A proven track record of consistently exceeding expectations to deliver outstanding results.
• A personal commitment to continuous learning and professional development.
• Practical understanding of Linux, virtualization, containers, and networking principles.
• A business-minded approach to technology, with strong problem-solving capabilities.
• Comprehensive knowledge of cloud computing concepts and leading platforms like Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• A strong interest in large-scale enterprise open source, including private clouds, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.
• Intermediate-level Python programming skills.
• A genuine passion for technology, evidenced by personal projects and initiatives.
• The work ethic and self-assurance required to excel among highly motivated colleagues.
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English, coupled with excellent presentation abilities.
• Prior experience with Linux, preferably Debian or Ubuntu distributions.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, a curious mindset, adaptability, and accountability.
• A dynamic individual who embraces new projects and enjoys interacting with diverse people.
• Appreciation for diversity and effectiveness in a multi-cultural, multi-national organizational setting.
• Thoughtfulness, self-motivation, and a results-oriented approach with a strong drive to meet commitments.
• Ability to travel internationally for company events (up to two weeks) and client meetings.

What You'll Learn

• Expertise in architecting and deploying AI/ML infrastructures, data processing pipelines, and multi-cluster distributed training systems.
• Exposure to a wide array of open-source applications and skill sets.
• Direct engagement with customers across diverse business sectors.
• Real-life, hands-on experience with a broad spectrum of emerging technologies and tools.

What We Offer Colleagues (Benefits)

Canonical's compensation structure considers geographical location, experience, and performance, with annual reviews to recognize outstanding contributions. In addition to competitive base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects our values and aims to meet local needs globally:

• Distributed work environment with bi-annual in-person team sprints.
• Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year.
• Annual compensation review.
• Recognition rewards.
• 40 days of annual leave per annum, inclusive of public holidays and company-wide holiday periods.
• Comprehensive maternity and paternity leave.
• Access to a Team Member Assistance Program & Wellness Platform.
• Opportunities for international travel to meet colleagues.
• Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long-haul company events.

About Canonical

Canonical is a pioneering technology firm leading the global shift towards open source. As the publisher of Ubuntu, a foundational platform for AI, IoT, and cloud computing, we are actively transforming the software landscape. We recruit globally, maintaining high standards for all new team members, as excellence is paramount to our success. Since our inception in 2004, most Canonical colleagues have worked remotely. Joining Canonical means stepping into the future, where you will be challenged to innovate, work smarter, acquire new skills, and elevate your professional game. Canonical is an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering a discrimination-free workplace where diversity of experience, perspectives, and background contribute to better environments and products. We ensure fair consideration for all applications, regardless of identity. #LI-remote.