Position Overview #
The Civil Society Technology Foundation (CSTF) seeks an experienced Software Development Lead to guide the technical development of Wild Cloud, our flagship reference implementation for self-hosted cloud infrastructure. This role combines technical leadership with our mission of making digital self-determination practically accessible to everyone.
Wild Cloud is CSTF’s complete solution for operating essential digital services on infrastructure you control, built on Kubernetes and combining carefully selected open-source components into a cohesive, user-friendly system that reduces dependency on centralized corporate platforms.
About Wild Cloud #
Wild Cloud empowers individuals, communities, and organizations to:
- Host their own cloud services with full control over data and communications
- Reduce dependencies on surveillance-based platforms and centralized infrastructure
- Build technical capacity through hands-on experience with self-hosted systems
- Participate in communities of practice around independent infrastructure
- Scale infrastructure from minimal hardware to full data centers as needs grow
The project provides reference “stacks” deployable on Kubernetes clusters, combining best-of-breed open-source applications to enable productivity, communication, collaboration, and intelligence applications.
Technical Architecture #
Wild Cloud allows cloud operators to install and manage standard Kubernetes clusters on their own premises using modest resources (hardware comparable to smartphone costs). Key architectural elements include:
- Kubernetes-based foundation for managing complexity and application health
- Reference stack implementations combining proven open-source components
- Scalable design supporting single-node deployments to multi-node clusters
- Component modularity enabling customization while maintaining cohesive user experience
- Infrastructure abstraction making self-hosting accessible without sacrificing technical depth
Primary Responsibilities #
Technical Leadership & Architecture #
- Lead overall technical architecture and development strategy for Wild Cloud platform
- Design and implement Kubernetes-based infrastructure that balances simplicity with flexibility
- Guide technology choices that align with CSTF principles of transparency, self-determination, and community ownership
- Coordinate with community contributors and maintain technical coherence across distributed development
Core Platform Development #
- Develop and maintain the foundational Wild Cloud platform and deployment tooling
- Create reference stack implementations that demonstrate practical self-hosting capabilities
- Build installation, configuration, and management interfaces that make Kubernetes accessible
- Ensure platform reliability, security, and maintainability for diverse deployment environments
Open Source Community Management #
- Foster healthy development community around Wild Cloud project repositories
- Establish development workflows, contribution guidelines, and code review processes
- Mentor community contributors and facilitate distributed development
- Coordinate with upstream open-source projects and maintain good community relationships
Documentation & Developer Experience #
- Create comprehensive technical documentation for platform architecture and APIs
- Develop contribution guides and onboarding materials for new developers
- Design developer tooling and workflows that lower barriers to community participation
- Ensure codebase maintainability through clear architecture and coding standards
Required Qualifications #
- Software Development: 5+ years of experience in software development with demonstrated technical leadership
- Kubernetes Expertise: Strong experience with Kubernetes architecture, deployment, and cluster management
- Open Source Leadership: Proven experience leading open-source projects and managing community contributions
- Systems Architecture: Ability to design complex, distributed systems that balance usability with technical depth
- Mission Alignment: Deep commitment to digital self-determination, open-source principles, and community empowerment
Preferred Qualifications #
- Self-Hosting Experience: Hands-on experience with self-hosted infrastructure, home servers, or private cloud deployments
- DevOps & Infrastructure: Experience with infrastructure-as-code, CI/CD, monitoring, and deployment automation
- Security Focus: Understanding of security best practices for self-hosted environments and threat modeling
- Multiple Programming Languages: Proficiency in languages commonly used in cloud-native development (Go, Python, JavaScript, etc.)
- Community Building: Experience building and nurturing technical communities around open-source projects
Key Technical Areas #
Platform Core #
- Kubernetes Operations: Cluster provisioning, management, and lifecycle automation
- Application Orchestration: Helm charts, operators, and application lifecycle management
- Networking & Storage: Container networking, persistent storage, and service mesh integration
- Security & Identity: Authentication, authorization, secrets management, and security hardening
Reference Stacks #
- Communication Stack: Self-hosted messaging, video conferencing, and collaboration tools
- Productivity Stack: Document management, project management, and workflow automation
- Intelligence Stack: AI/ML capabilities running on local infrastructure
- Development Stack: Code hosting, CI/CD, and development environment provisioning
User Experience #
- Installation & Setup: User-friendly deployment processes for various environments
- Management Interface: Web-based administration and monitoring capabilities
- Backup & Recovery: Data protection and disaster recovery systems
- Scaling & Migration: Tools for growing and moving Wild Cloud deployments
Success Metrics #
- Platform Stability: Reliable deployments across diverse hardware and network environments
- Community Growth: Active contributor base and healthy development velocity
- User Adoption: Successful Wild Cloud deployments by individuals and organizations
- Technical Quality: Maintainable codebase with comprehensive testing and documentation
- Educational Impact: Platform serving as effective learning tool for self-hosting concepts
Development Philosophy #
This role requires alignment with CSTF’s technical principles:
- Self-determination by Design: Ensure users maintain full control over their infrastructure and data
- Open Source Always: All Wild Cloud components must be libre software with transparent development
- Practical Autonomy: Build systems users can understand, modify, and maintain independently
- Tools Over Policy: Focus on building working alternatives rather than advocating for regulatory solutions
- Healthy Ecosystems: Prioritize genuine utility to communities over popular features or metrics
Community & Collaboration #
- Transparent Development: All development decisions and processes visible to the community
- Distributed Leadership: Foster shared ownership and decision-making among contributors
- Inclusive Participation: Create pathways for contributors with diverse backgrounds and skill levels
- Upstream Contribution: Contribute improvements back to upstream open-source projects
- Cross-Project Coordination: Collaborate with other CSTF initiatives including education and community development
Compensation & Structure #
This is a volunteer leadership position with the Civil Society Technology Foundation. As the project grows and secures funding, this role may transition to a paid position based on organizational capacity and project success.
How to Apply #
CSTF seeks technical leaders who understand both the complexity of distributed systems and the importance of making powerful technology accessible to communities. We welcome applications from developers who share our vision of democratizing infrastructure ownership.
To express interest in this position:
- Join our development community on git.civilsociety.dev
- Review the Wild Cloud project and our principles to understand our approach
- Introduce yourself as a reply to this forum post (or message the post’s author) and share your vision for making self-hosted infrastructure accessible
We operate with transparent, distributed governance and welcome collaborative input on technical architecture and development strategy.
Contact #
For questions about this position or Wild Cloud development, reply to this forum post.
Join us in building infrastructure that serves communities by putting control directly in the hands of the people who depend on it.