Hardware Compatibility List & Ecosystem Lead

10 Esplanade Andry-Farcy, 38000 Grenoble Permanent contract Remote working 35 000 - 60 000 € per year Job description ------------------- Vates is a French software company specializing in virtualization, offering a credible alternative to proprietary solutions on the market. Our Vates VMS solution enables companies to manage their IT infrastructures in a simple, efficient, and controlled way. As Hardware Compatibility Lead, you own the design and evolution of the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) for XCP-ng. Your mission is to define, build, and operate a structured HCL system that becomes the reference for hardware compatibility across the platform. Your responsabilities: Own the Hardware Compatibility Program Define and maintain the roadmap for the HCL system Align priorities with product, engineering, alliances, and support Identify gaps in coverage, validation depth, and tooling Drive improvements in compatibility quality and system reliability Ensure alignment with product strategy and release cycles Design and Operate the 3-Level HCL Model Define and maintain the Certified / Verified / Compatible model Ensure consistent rules, data quality, and lifecycle across all tracks Balance vendor, internal, and community validation sources Define governance for acceptance, review, and publication Lead and Perform Validation Activities Actively contribute to hardware validation (servers, storage, networking, accelerators) Support certification efforts with vendors when applicable Improve regression and compatibility testing practices Use and shape early-stage tooling through real-world validation work Build the HCL Ecosystem Develop relationships with hardware vendors and technology partners Work with alliances to expand coverage and engagement Define processes for collecting and validating compatibility data Integrate feedback from customers and the open-source community Drive the HCL Platform Define data model and workflows behind the HCL system Work with engineering teams to prioritize and deliver platform features Contribute directly to implementation when needed Ensure the platform becomes the trusted source of compatibility information Coordinate Across Stakeholders Align engineering, product, alliances, support, vendors, customers, and community contributors Facilitate discussions and drive decisions Communicate progress, risks, and trade-offs clearly Build alignment without relying on formal authority Required Skills : Can run a cross-team program from end to end: roadmap, priorities, and the calls on what gets validated and when. Builds alignment without having formal authority over the people doing the work. Knows how to build and keep working relationships with hardware vendors and partners (joint validation, lab access, certification), not just run tests in a corner. Comfortable around an open-source community: gathering and reviewing the results people submit, folding them into the HCL, and working with the Community Manager rather than around them. Broad infrastructure background across virtualization, storage (SAN/NAS/HCI) and networking (VLANs, bonding, 10/25/100G). Enough to design test plans and read results critically. Deep hardware or electronics expertise is not the point here. Hands-on, not only strategic. At ease with Python/Ansible/Bash, willing to shape the early tooling and write parts of the system until it can stand on its own. Reports clearly, in writing and out loud, to technical and non-technical people. Fluent English. Nice to Have : Familiar with XCP-ng or Xen-based virtualization. Has run a hardware compatibility list, a certification program, or partner/QA engineering before. Has worked in an open-source