Open Source Evangelist

Department: Marketing

Location: Vancouver

Description

Open Source Evangelist

ActiveState is seeking a passionate and knowledgeable Open Source Evangelist who can champion our open-source management platform and engage with Enterprise Technology Leaders, DevOps Leaders, and the developer community at large. The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in open-source languages and ecosystems, understand their critical role in modern software development, and be adept at communicating their value.

Reporting to our CMO, Allyson Barr, you will serve as a key advocate for the ActiveState Platform, and open-source technologies while navigating the complexities of managing and maintaining open-source projects. A strong understanding of the security challenges, evolving regulatory requirements, and legal considerations associated with open-source software is essential to this role.

About You

You are an open-source developer at heart who loves to be forward-facing, communicating the value proposition of leading-edge technologies. You understand the world of possibilities unlocked through open-source, but also the pitfalls and challenges that companies and developers face in using open-source in Enterprise environments.

You write well and can craft compelling messaging. You are a first-rate communicator, comfortable engaging all audiences (in-person and online), especially highly technical ones. You network well and don't shy away from conversation. You think and execute strategically. You are skilled at evangelizing your ideas both internally and externally and are capable of handling multiple competing priorities and turning on a dime.

Key Responsibilities

• Thought Leadership: Represent the company at industry events, speaking engagements, and conferences as a thought leader on open-source technology, security, and governance. This includes content creation (White papers, blog posts, thought pieces) and Analyst engagement.
• Advocacy: Promote the benefits of open-source tools, frameworks, and best practices to developers, organizations, and decision-makers through blogs, webinars, conferences, and social media.
• Community Engagement: Actively engage with developer communities, contributing to discussions, forums, and open-source projects to build relationships and inspire the adoption of open-source technologies.
• Education & Evangelism: Collaborate with Sales and Marketing to develop and deliver educational content, such as tutorials, and documentation, and speak at conferences and workshops, to help technical decision-makers and developers understand and effectively use open-source technologies.
• Credibility: Foster a sense of credibility by being a trusted voice in the room. Acknowledging the benefits and pitfalls of open source and highlighting the benefits of ActiveState's solution.
• Collaboration: Work closely with internal and external engineering, legal, and security teams to address the challenges of open-source adoption, including dependency management, security vulnerabilities, and licensing compliance.
• Security & Compliance: Stay up to date with the evolving regulatory and legal landscape surrounding open-source software, helping to mitigate security risks and ensure compliance with relevant policies.
  
  

Required Qualifications:

• Deep Knowledge of Open Source Languages & Ecosystems: Deep knowledge in one or more open source languages (such as Python, Ruby, JavaScript, Go, etc.) and familiarity with key frameworks and tools. Practical understanding of how open source software is employed within businesses.
• Open Source Community Experience: Proven experience contributing to or managing open source projects, including an understanding of the challenges associated with maintaining open source software.
• Security and Risk Management: Strong understanding of the security risks inherent in open-source software and strategies for mitigating these risks.
• Legal & Regulatory Acumen: Familiarity with open source licenses (GPL, MIT, Apache, etc.) and the evolving regulatory landscape related to open source use.
• Writing & Communication Skills: Ability to create clear, engaging content for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Developer Relations Experience: Experience in developer advocacy, community building, or a similar role with a passion for fostering relationships and driving the adoption of technology.
• Desire and ability to Travel: Must be able to travel unrestricted across North America and have a passion for identifying, attending, and speaking at relevant conferences and roundtable discussions, and promoting ActiveState as a solution.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and integrating open-source solutions.
• Experience working in organizations that rely on open source for large-scale infrastructure.
• Strong public speaking and presentation skills.
• Active contributor to high-profile open-source projects or initiatives.
  
  

Benefits

Working at ActiveStateActiveState has a collaborative, respectful, and professional culture. We're all about working together to find the best solutions, and making sure that the experience of doing so is positive for everyone involved. There is a commitment from the CEO on down to making work at ActiveState a great experience for all.

Our company is a team of 60+ and growing, with 2/3rds of the positions in technical roles. We maintain a set of core, overlapping hours, but we're flexible with specific start and end times and are understanding about appointments and life events. While we have great office spaces in Vancouver, Canada, we're very distributed and remote first.

Our vision is to have an ActiveState solution on every device on every planet, so we certainly don't lack ambition! But even though we're ambitious we don't expect work to become your life. We know you will do your best work in a positive environment free from death marches. For more about working at ActiveState and our Glassdoor rating go to www.activestate.com/careers.

How to ApplyPlease submit your contact info, resume, and cover letter below. Submissions without a cover letter will not be considered. We look forward to hearing from you!

We are committed to creating a welcoming environment for everyone at ActiveState and we welcome applicants from all walks of life. Even if you don't feel you meet every exact requirement, we still would love to hear from you and why you think you would be an awesome addition to our team and we encourage you to apply.