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Director, Open Source Sovereignty & Community Engagement
Job Description
A perfect storm of geopolitical, regulatory, and technological forces is reshaping the European digital landscape, creating a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a truly sovereign digital future. At SUSE, we believe this future must be built on the transparent, collaborative, and secure foundation of open source. We have launched SUSE Sovereign Solutions, a new, agile group within our CEO's office, to lead this charge. We are seeking “an athlete” to join this team as the Director of Open Source Sovereignty & Community Strategy. If you are a passionate open source advocate with a deep understanding of public policy and a talent for building strategic alliances, this is your chance to make a historic impact.
The role demands a potent combination of technical credibility, policy acumen, and business vision. This individual must be capable of operating across the distinct worlds of open-source development, public policy, and enterprise partnerships. They are a technologist-diplomat.
A Tri-Sector AthleteThe perfect candidate for this position is best understood not by a single job title but as a "Tri-Sector Athlete," a leader who demonstrates excellence across three critical domains simultaneously.
Open Source Luminary: The ideal candidate possesses significant community credibility and a history of active contribution. They must have a technical understanding of the modern cloud-native stack—from the Linux kernel to Kubernetes and CI/CD—and clearly articulate why open source's transparency, auditability, and freedom from lock-in are essential for digital sovereignty. Their expertise and respected voice are non-negotiable.
The Policy Diplomat: navigates the complex policy landscape in Brussels and other European capitals, engaging with "technical policymakers" (EU civil servants, parliamentary aides, standards body members). They deconstruct legislation and standards to identify SUSE's strategic opportunities and risks, translating technical concepts into governance, regulation, and national interest terms. Understanding that policy is a product specification in this market, their role is to help write it.
Ecosystem and Alliance Architect: A strategist who sees community and partners as a federated ecosystem to be designed, nurtured, and mobilized, not just a sales channel. They focus on value chains to build a vibrant European ecosystem of sovereign MSPs, ISVs, and partners. Their mission is to co-develop and deliver sovereign solutions. They have the C-level relationship skills and business acumen to structure complex, multi-party alliances that can collectively compete against hyperscalers.
Reporting to the Global Head of SUSE Sovereign Solutions, you will be the external-facing leader for our open source sovereignty strategy and engagement. Your responsibilities will be organized around four key pillars:
Open Source & Community Leadership: Serve as SUSE's most prominent voice and evangelist for open-source sovereignty in Europe. Forge deep, strategic relationships with key open-source foundations (e.g., Linux Foundation Europe, CNCF), influential projects, and community leaders. Drive the narrative that true digital sovereignty is impossible without the transparency, auditability, and freedom from lock-in that only open source provides.
Sovereign Ecosystem Development: In close collaboration with the EMEA ecosystem team, architect and drive the strategy for building a world-class ecosystem of European sovereign MSPs, ISVs, and technology partners. Drive the co-development of innovative solutions, including our "Get to Sovereign' easy button," a suite of services that will simplify the delivery and management of sovereign infrastructure anywhere.
Policy & Standards Influence: Engage directly with technical policymakers, standards bodies, and influential groups (e.g., Gaia-X hubs, EU policy forums, national cybersecurity agencies) across Europe. Proactively analyze emerging legislation and standards to inform SUSE's strategy. Work to embed SUSE's open-source principles into emerging sovereignty standards and best practices, positioning SUSE as a trusted advisor and a foundational pillar of Europe's digital future.
Thought Leadership: Act as the senior subject matter expert on open source digital sovereignty for the SUSE leadership team and the broader market. Develop and publish high-impact content, including white papers, keynote presentations, and articles, that shapes the market conversation. Represent SUSE at the highest levels at industry, policy, and community events, articulating our vision and strategy to a wide range of audiences.
We are looking for an individual who operates at the intersection of deep technology, public policy, and business strategy. The ideal candidate will possess:
Open Source Credibility: A demonstrable history of meaningful engagement and leadership within the open-source community. Technical knowledge of the modern cloud-native stack (Linux, Kubernetes, containers, CI/CD etc).
Policy Acumen: Proven experience in and understanding of the European technology policy landscape, including key initiatives like Gaia-X and the NIS2 Directive. Experience engaging with EU institutions or national regulatory bodies is highly desirable.
Ecosystem Experience: Experience in designing and building strategic partner ecosystems, moving beyond simple reseller models to foster co-innovation and joint go-to-market success.
Tech-to-Enterprise Articulation: fluent in the language of both engineering and enterprise. The ability to connect technical features (e.g., auditability, interoperability) directly to high-level business concerns (e.g., risk mitigation, competitive advantage, total cost of ownership) and national/regulatory outcomes (e.g., compliance, resilience).
Exceptional Communication and Influence: World-class public speaking, writing, and presentation skills. The ability to command a room and communicate complex ideas with clarity and passion to both technical and non-technical C-level audiences.
Strategic Mindset: The ability to think strategically about market trends, competitive dynamics, and policy shifts, and to translate that thinking into actionable plans that drive business results.
Location: Based in a major European hub with excellent travel connections (e.g., Brussels, Berlin, Paris). Fluency in English is required; proficiency in other major European languages (German, French) is a significant asset.
Job
Business PlanningWhat We Offer
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SUSE is a dynamic environment that is evolving rapidly, thus requiring agility, strong entrepreneurship and an open mind.
This is a compelling opportunity for the right person to join us as we continue to scale and prosper.
If you’re a big thinker, obsessed by execution and thrive in a dynamic environment in which you can tangibly create a lasting legacy, then please apply now!
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