Head of Open Source Strategy

Open Source Software License Engineering & Governance Lead

Location: London or Hong Kong (Hybrid or Remote Options)

Function: Technology / Engineering Governance

Employment Type: Permanent

Up to £135k + Excellent Bonus, Holiday, Pension & Benefits

This role will suit a Senior Technical Governance Manager or Engineering & Governance Lead to shape and lead enterprise-wide standards for OSS software usage, licensing, and technology enablement. A hybrid strategic and technical leadership role to build the company's first Open Source Office, ensuring that open-source adoption across the enterprise remains secure, compliant, and scalable. The ideal candidate combines technical literacy, legal awareness, and cultural empathy - someone who can speak both to developers and lawyers in equal measure, and lead the organization into a mature, regulated open-source future.

Role Summary:

You must have deep experience with OSS governance, control framework, risk model, and enablement scopes to lead how the organization uses, manages, and contributes to open-source software (OSS).

The ideal candidate will be a Software engineer or technical manager (hands-on or architecture exposure) and proficiency in modern programming (Python, JavaScript, Go, Java, etc and a solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines, DevSecOps workflows, and automated policy enforcement tools (e.g., Snyk, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Sonatype, etc.).

• Knowledge of software licensing (MIT, Apache, GPL, etc.) and IP risk management.
• Open Source license-risk engineering and experience building & enforcing technology standards, risk frameworks, & software asset policies.
• Control the adoption, contribution, and distribution of OSS across all engineering teams.
• Full OSS lifecycle >selection, license review, onboarding, vulnerability scanning, and decommissioning.
• Comfortable working alongside Legal, Risk, Security, and Procurement.
• Translating license terms into enforceable technical and legal policies.
• Managing obligations that can lead to OSS license violations or forced code disclosure.

Experience Needed

• Solid software engineering or technical management (Python, JavaScript, Go, or similar).
• Good understanding of software licensing, compliance, and IP principles.
• Experienced with legal, risk, and engineering teams in complex or regulated environments.
• Hands-on knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, DevSecOps, and automated compliance tools.
• Strong communication skills to simplify legal or technical topics for business audiences.
• Proven ability to define technology standards and governance processes across teams.
• Analytical, proactive, and structured and comfortable creating order from ambiguity.
• Skilled at influencing without authority and driving alignment through trust and clarity.
• Passionate about responsible, modern technology adoption and continuous improvement.