About Canonical
Canonical is a global software company and the publisher of Ubuntu, one of the world’s most popular open-source operating systems. Founded in 2004, Canonical is headquartered in London, UK, with a remote-first workforce spanning over 70 countries. The company provides enterprise support and services for Ubuntu and related open-source technologies, empowering businesses to scale securely in the cloud, data centres, and edge environments. Known for its strong commitment to innovation, Canonical supports a range of industries including finance, automotive, telecommunications, and government, and collaborates with leading tech firms worldwide.
About the Role
Canonical is seeking a talented UX Designer to join its Design System Team. This role offers a unique opportunity to influence the user experience of widely used open-source software. The successful candidate will contribute to shaping a cohesive and scalable design system that supports a broad suite of products. By establishing clear design principles and ensuring consistency across platforms, the UX Designer will help deliver intuitive tools that meet the needs of Canonical’s global user base—from individual contributors to enterprise clients. This position is central to maintaining design quality and coherence across all of Canonical’s software offerings.
Core Responsibilities
- Foster alignment across teams on design system governance, standards, and implementation
- Promote best practices in design system usage and ensure a cohesive user experience across teams and platforms
- Collaborate with designers, engineers, and stakeholders to transform user needs and brand values into reusable components, patterns, and guidelines
- Document UI elements, interaction behaviours, and design tokens in a clear and accessible format
- Develop and maintain Canonical’s design system to ensure consistency, scalability, accessibility, and measurable adoption across all products
- Provide guidance, documentation, and support to enable cross-functional teams to apply the design system effectively
- Deliver roadmap milestones efficiently and on schedule
- Continuously monitor design and technology trends to inform innovation while maintaining system stability and coherence
- Advocate for accessibility, performance, and technical scalability in all design system decisions
Skills & Requirements
- Enthusiasm for creating harmony between consistency and creativity within design systems
- Demonstrated experience working closely with engineering teams and effectively translating design into functional implementation
- A strong portfolio showcasing advanced knowledge of design systems, including component libraries, thorough documentation, and work in multifaceted environments
- Academic excellence in design or a related behavioural science field
- Proficiency with industry-standard tools such as Figma, Storybook, and workflows involving design tokens
- Solid background in UX or product design, with hands-on experience developing and managing design systems within complex product ecosystems
- Clear understanding of design processes with the ability to articulate and document design rationale
- Meticulous attention to detail combined with a structured, systems-thinking approach to solving design problems
- Strong sense of ownership in meeting project timelines and delivering with transparency and accountability
- Openness to occasional travel (up to four times annually) for internal team gatherings and events
Benefits
- Salaries are reviewed annually, with more frequent evaluations for graduate and associate-level team members to reward growth and achievement
- Compensation is tailored based on location, professional experience, and individual performance, ensuring fairness across global teams
- A comprehensive benefits package is provided, reflecting the company’s commitment to its values and employee well-being
- Team members are eligible for annual performance-based bonuses or commissions, in addition to their base salary
- Benefit programmes are designed to be locally relevant while maintaining a consistent and equitable standard worldwide