Manager Open Source Program Office (m/f/x)

ZEISS

Job Description

Step out of your comfort zone, excel and redefine the limits of what is possible. That's just what our employees are doing every single day – in order to set the pace through our innovations and enable outstanding achievements. After all, behind every successful company are many great fascinating people.

In a spacious modern setting full of opportunities for further development, ZEISS employees work in a place where expert knowledge and team spirit reign supreme. All of this is supported by a special ownership structure and the long-term goal of the Carl Zeiss Foundation: to bring science and society into the future together.

Join us today. Inspire people tomorrow.

Diversity is a part of ZEISS. We look forward to receiving your application regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, philosophy of life, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity.

Apply now! It takes less than 10 minutes.


At Zeiss Digital Partners (ZDP), we have a clear goal: Enabling and accelerating the digital transformation of ZEISS @speed and @scale. We develop digital solutions jointly with the ZEISS business units and accelerate innovation that delivers a future value for our customers and our company. Digital Business Innovation within ZDP is a cross-functional team that builds digital solutions, implements new business models, and drives strategic digital programs. We apply customer-centric methodologies like Design Thinking and Voice of the Customer and combine those with our business and strategy acumen.

Your Role

At the ZEISS Group's Open Source Program Office (OSPO), we fuel innovation by leveraging the power of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and managing its associated risks across all business sectors.

Join us to:

  • Drive and operationalize our corporate strategy on inbound and outbound FOSS

  • Provide actionable advice on case by case basis to our business units and globally distributed engineering teams on: project specific issues within the context of FOSS licensing and software architecture in close collaboration with our legal department; automating software composition analysis and FOSS compliance, and succeeding in publicly releasing code and actively participating within FOSS communities.

  • Act as an advocate for responsible and strategic use of FOSS at ZEISS, e.g. by organizing community events, providing talks, and publishing articles. Give trainings and evolve our overall FOSS enablement program.

  • Propose and manage initiatives to increase the efficiency and effectiveness when working with FOSS at ZEISS.

  • Network with internal and external experts and partners to orient along and exchange on proven practices and state-of-the-art FOSS management.


  • Excellent technical degree, preferably in computer science, applied informatics, electrical engineering, physics, or in a related field.

  • ideally 5+ years of experience in software engineering, out of which 3+ years focused on an area like FOSS, InfoSec, software compliance, preferably in a regulated industry (medical, automotive, defense, etc.).

  • In depth experience in advocating the value of FOSS and its potential for innovative software development

  • Solid understanding of the principles of Free Software and Open Source and its legal foundation

  • Hands-on-experience with common SCA tools such as ORT, Black Duck, ScanCode

  • Concise and effective communication excellence across diverse, technical, and non-technical groups, also on management level

  • Empath y to overcome organizational boundaries

  • Self-dependent working style including analytical, and problem-solving skills paired with drive and a solution oriented ‘can-do'-attitude.

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