Product Manager - Desktop at Canonical

Product Manager - Desktop

Location: Home based - EMEA (remote; candidate must be located in the EMEA region)

The role entails

Canonical is hiring a Product Manager for Ubuntu Desktop. This senior product leadership role combines technical vision, product strategy and go-to-market execution to drive the desktop experience used by developers, enterprises and hardware partners. The Product Manager will own the product vision, lead the roadmap, manage partnerships with silicon vendors and OEMs, contribute to the Ubuntu open source community and define future business models in a competitive landscape.

• Drive the vision and roadmap for the desktop product and deliver on strategic objectives.
• Lead product development lifecycle: prioritise goals, review progress and ensure products meet market needs.
• Build and manage partnerships with silicon vendors, OEMs and key hardware manufacturers.
• Engage the Ubuntu user community, partners, and customers to enable commercial success and inform product decisions.
• Define and evaluate future business models and position the product against the competitive landscape.
• Translate product vision into actionable plans and successful market launches with cross-functional teams.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, design, marketing, sales and support to align on priorities and execution.
• Conduct market research, analyse trends and capture customer feedback to identify opportunities and inform strategy.
• Communicate product vision, status updates and key decisions to stakeholders to manage expectations and ensure alignment.
• Lead usability testing, iterate on user feedback and refine the product experience.
• Support go-to-market activities: product documentation, training, sales enablement and customer-facing engagements.
• Contribute to commercial success by participating in customer meetings and reviewing opportunities with the sales team.

What we are looking for in you

We seek a competitive technology leader with strong technical and business acumen, a passion for open source and the ability to lead product strategy and execution.

• Outstanding academic results at high school and university (please indicate your grading system and results).
• Understanding of Linux and the open source software community.
• Familiarity with computer architecture, application development, enterprise IT, cloud or device ecosystems.
• Passion for writing about technology and analysing the tech landscape.
• Strong work ethic, curiosity, continuous learning and a high sense of ownership.
• Excellent problem solving and innovation skills.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Ability to travel internationally up to four times a year for company events (up to two weeks each).

Nice-to-have skills

• Familiarity with the Linux ecosystem including window managers (GNOME, KDE), accessibility tools (Orca), identity management (Entra, LDAP) and application frameworks.
• Familiarity with the broader technology ecosystem: silicon vendors, IHVs/ISVs, ODM/OEMs and cloud service providers.
• Experience with data centre, embedded and connected device technologies and ecosystems.

What we offer you

Canonical offers global, distributed work, competitive compensation and a benefits package aligned to local markets. Compensation considerations include geographic location, experience and performance. In addition to base pay, we provide a performance-driven annual bonus or commission and a range of employee benefits.

• Distributed work environment with twice-yearly in-person team sprints.
• Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year.
• Annual compensation review and recognition rewards.
• Annual holiday leave, maternity and paternity leave.
• Employee Assistance Program and wellbeing support.
• Opportunity to travel to meet colleagues; Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long-haul company events.

About Canonical

Canonical builds Ubuntu, a leading open source platform used across cloud, AI, IoT and engineering initiatives. The company is founder-led, profitable and globally distributed with 1,200+ colleagues in 75+ countries. Canonical's product managers are technologists who blend engineering background with strategic leadership to advance open source quality and drive market impact. Joining Canonical is an opportunity to work at the cutting edge of open source, cloud and device software, and to help shape the future of developer and administrator experiences.

We recruit globally and set high standards for excellence. Most colleagues work from home; teams convene periodically in interesting locations to align on strategy and execution.

Requisition ID: 1051

#LI-remote

Canonical is an equal opportunity employer

We foster a workplace free from discrimination and provide fair consideration regardless of identity. If you require accommodation for travel relating to a physical disability, please let us know during the hiring process and we will discuss requirements.

Application information & privacy

Please indicate your university grading result (or expected result) and the grading system used. For work history, focus on the last ten years since leaving undergraduate studies; count companies accordingly and exclude university jobs or internships. If you ran a company or did private contracting alongside employment, count that as one company. Please select your current location when applying.

Recruitment Privacy Notice and Privacy Policy apply. Submission of diversity or equal opportunities data is voluntary and will not influence hiring decisions.

How to apply

Apply via Canonical's careers site for this role: https://canonical.com/careers/6643481