Cloud Support Engineer, Japan

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation and IoT. Our customers include the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with 1100+ colleagues in 75+ countries and very few office based roles. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution.

The company is founder led, profitable and growing.

We are hiring a Cloud Support Engineer to build a career with Canonical and support the technical needs of customers leveraging Ubuntu and open source products. If you have an affinity for open source development and a passion for technology, then you will enjoy working with some of the best people in the industry at Canonical.

We regularly solve interesting, technical problems. From triaging complex Cloud environment issues, Linux kernel crashes we’ve never seen before to OS configuration issues and root cause analysis, we provide an expert level of support and satisfaction to our peer groups and customers. We are rapidly expanding and are looking for talented problem solvers with a passion for working on the next generation of Ubuntu solutions for our customers.

Location: This is a remote role, based anywhere in Japan.

The role entails

• Investigate issues reported by customers by researching and escalating issues
• Work to resolve complex customer problems related to Canonical’s portfolio of products.
• Ownership of results: Ensure that each support case owned by you is handled according to our Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the highest possible customer satisfaction by setting the right expectations and fulfilling your commitments.
• Engage directly with customers and work collaboratively by phone, ticketing system, and remote sessions to resolve their issues.
• Participate in a regular weekend working rotation.
• Contribute new knowledge base articles and maintain existing articles, ensuring shared knowledge and lessons learned are available to customers.
• Understanding Ubuntu development process to be able to set customer expectations correctly on timeline for a fix.

What are we looking for in you

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in both English and Japanese
• JLPT N1 preferred for non native Japanese speakers
• Exceptional academic track record from both high school and university
• Undergraduate degree in a technical subject or a compelling narrative about your alternative chosen path
• Track record of going above-and-beyond expectations to achieve outstanding results
• Hands-on and extensive working experience in supporting Linux systems including 3 or more of:
• Virtualization / Cloud - primarily using KVM or OpenStack.
• Containers - especially with Docker, LXD/LXC, or Kubernetes.
• Storage technologies - block, object and network.
• Networking (bonding, firewalling, bridging, switching, network file system tuning, MTU issues, etc.).
• Cloud computing expertise in provisioning, monitoring, orchestration, etc.
• Advanced troubleshooting experience:
• Linux integration with other environments (authentication/directory services, network file systems, etc.).
• Ability to navigate effectively stack traces and logs, and advise on next steps.
• Solid understanding of OS and Application level bugs and when to escalate to the correct team.
• Programming fundamentals in any language.
• Extensive Customer support experience is key:
• Customer needs are top priority.
• Communicate professionally, emphatically, clearly and set the right expectations.
• Ability to travel internationally twice a year for company events up to two weeks long.

What we offer colleagues

We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide. We revisit compensation annually (and more often for graduates and associates) to ensure we recognise outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. We provide all team members with additional benefits, which reflect our values and ideals. We balance our programs to meet local needs and ensure fairness globally.

• Distributed work environment with twice-yearly team sprints in person
• Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year
• Annual compensation review
• Recognition rewards
• Annual holiday leave
• Maternity and paternity leave
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues
• Priority Pass, and travel upgrades for long haul company events

About Canonical

Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open source projects and the platform for AI, IoT and the cloud, we are changing the world of software. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence - in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since its inception in 2004.​ Working here is a step into the future, and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.

Canonical is an equal opportunity employer

We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background create a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.

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