We have created a new career path at Canonical for Performance Engineers who bring exceptional clarity to software performance, correctness and efficiency. We are adding these roles to every engineering team at the company.As an open source platform, we have teams that work at every level of the software stack - from the kernel up through server and desktop applications, all the way to the web. We are adding roles with this focus in every engineering team in the company, to act as drivers of performance engineering skills, tools, culture and insights to our entire product range. We have also created a central performance engineering team, where we will drive shared tools, dashboarding capabilities, measurement frameworks, analytical capabilities and skills. We call this career focus 'percorr' because we have found that the same deep insights that enable sophisticated performance measurement and design also enable teams to improve their harnesses and frameworks for correctness. Understanding not only the application, but the runtime, the compiler, and the system, all the way down to the CPU, gives an engineer the ability to think creatively and with insight about the right things to measure, and the right ways to verify correctness. We have found that performance engineers will often improve the deepest and trickiest areas of our test harnesses, and unblock their teams to test and measure previously 'dark' aspects of their work.We also have teams that work with every major silicon vendor and cloud, with a particular emphasis on performance optimisation of the entire stack for that architecture, CPU family or hypervisor. Our goal is to ensure that Ubuntu users can select whatever platform they want for their workloads and know they have access to the very best performance and efficiency across the entire stack from kernel to codec.If they wish, we will enable performance and correctness engineers to move between products every two years, so that they have the opportunity to raise the bar for performance in an array of products over time, and also that teams have the benefit of fresh eyes on their processes, thinking, harnesses, dashboards and code. Our performance and correctness leads are expected to be truly exceptional individuals, and also leaders who are confident setting expectations of change, sharing insights and skills, running initiatives and programs. There is no way to move a meaningful codebase without also moving the people behind it.This is a career path for perfectionists and precision artists. Whether you have a particular language focus - C, C++, Rust, Golang, Python, Java, Flutter-Dart or others - or a particular love of the kernel or hardware or CPU instruction set, whether you see yourself as driving perceived user experience through performance or optimising the efficiency of data centers to reduce carbon footprint, this process is the best way to find a role at Canonical that speaks to your precision, rigour, insight and drive.Location: We have teams in every time zone, and can accommodate applications from almost any country.Nice-to-have skills we valueLow-level CPU insights and assembly language - understanding cache, registers, vectorization, memoryKernel performance insights - scheduling, context switching, hardware accelerationDistributed systems performance insights - tracing, debuggingCompiler level performance insights - profile guided optimization, inlining, assemblerRuntime performance insights - Golang, Python, JVM, NodeJSDatabase performance evaluation - plans, indexing, data modelling, tracing, monitoringWeb browser performance insights - JS, web frameworks, tracing, CSSPerformance measurement tooling - profiling, eBPF, D-Trace, flamegraphsBenchmarks and performance measurement tools - Phoronix Test Suite, othersTest harnesses and capabilities in C, C++, Rust, Python, Golang, NodeJS, JavaScriptThe role entailsDrive software performance and correctness in a specific projectCollaborate with colleagues and community around the globeWork on shared tools and infrastructure for performance measurement, analysis and reportingTeach, train and develop skills in your team for performance culture and designStrengthen test capabilities, harnesses and pipelinesAnalyze systems and code to understand performance and scalabilitySolve problems directly or through influence, leadership and skills developmentReview code and technical designsWhat we are looking for in youExceptional academic track record from both high school and universityUndergraduate degree in Computer Science, Mathematics or PhysicsDemonstrable personal initiatives to measure and improve performance, efficiency and correctness in codeConfidence to respectfully speak up, exchange feedback, and share ideas without hesitationTrack record of going above-and-beyond expectations to achieve outstanding resultsLeadership and commitment to skills development and mentorshipPassion for technology evidenced by personal projects and initiativesThe work ethic and confidence to shine alongside motivated colleaguesProfessional written and spoken English with excellent presentation skillsExperience with Linux (Debian or Ubuntu preferred)Excellent interpersonal skills, curiosity, flexibility, and accountabilityAppreciative of diversity, polite and effective in a multi-cultural, multi-national organisationThoughtfulness and self-motivationResult-oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitmentsAbility to travel internationally twice a year, for company events up to two weeks long
