Observability Engineering Manager

As an Observability Engineering Manager at Canonical, your key responsibilities include managing a distributed team of engineers, leading the development of observability products, conducting one-on-one meetings, reviewing code, and ensuring that your team achieves its objectives through effective processes and clear expectations.

To qualify for the Observability Engineering Manager position at Canonical, candidates should have a strong track record in software delivery, professional experience in open source, excellent communication skills, and proficiency in Linux, preferably Debian or Ubuntu. Experience in managing high-performance teams and a background in Python or Go are also beneficial.

Canonical is dedicated to fostering professional growth for its Observability Engineering Managers. We offer a personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 annually, as well as opportunities for travel to collaborate with colleagues. Regular compensation reviews ensure that performance is rewarded, allowing you to thrive in your career.

The work environment for an Observability Engineering Manager at Canonical is remote and globally distributed, promoting flexibility and work-life balance. With twice-yearly team sprints for in-person collaboration, you’ll be part of a vibrant community that encourages innovation and engagement with the open source ecosystem.

The Observability Engineering Manager at Canonical plays a vital role in shaping the future of our observability stack. By leading a skilled team, you will ensure that our products provide deep insights and operational simplicity, contributing to Canonical's mission of becoming a leader in open source observability tools.

In answering this question, highlight your previous roles where you managed remote teams, discussing specific strategies you used to foster communication and collaboration, and how you measured team health and productivity.

You should explain your method of balancing priorities between urgent tasks and long-term goals. Emphasize your approach to aligning your team's objectives with company goals, as well as your use of frameworks or tools that help maintain focus and efficiency.

Detail your involvement in open-source projects, any contributions you’ve made, and how you’ve leveraged community feedback to improve outcomes. Discuss your understanding of the open-source community's culture and values.

Discuss your philosophy on code quality and peer feedback, explaining how you approach code reviews to maintain high standards while also fostering a learning environment among team members.

Talk about specific practices you've implemented, such as mentorship programs, regular feedback sessions, and learning opportunities. Showcase your commitment to team members’ growth and how that has impacted performance.

Provide an example of a past conflict and discuss the steps you took to resolve it while maintaining a positive team environment. Emphasize the importance of open dialogue and understanding different perspectives.

Detail your hands-on experience with Kubernetes and any observability tools you’ve implemented or used in previous roles. Discuss how these tools contribute to software quality and performance monitoring.

Provide a specific example of a project that faced significant hurdles. Talk about the challenges, the steps you took to address them, and the end results. Highlight what you learned from this experience.

Share your passion for technology and team success. Discuss how seeing your team members grow, the thrill of innovation, and contributing to larger company missions keeps you motivated.

Explain your approach to collaboration, utilizing regular meetings, shared tools, and transparent communication. Discuss how this ensures that both teams are working towards a common vision and achieving meaningful results.