At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the open-source AI community and ecosystem strategy, championing innovative projects and tools.
- Company: Sentient Foundation, a pioneer in open-source AI aligned with humanity.
- Benefits: Join a mission-driven team with opportunities for growth and impact in AI.
- Other info: Be part of a vibrant community with 2M+ members and influence the next wave of AI.
- Why this job: Shape the future of AI by connecting with top developers and driving open-source initiatives.
- Qualifications: 4+ years in developer relations, strong technical skills, and a passion for open-source.
The predicted salary is between 85500 - 104500 £ per year.
About Sentient
The Sentient Foundation is building the open-source future of intelligence: AI aligned with humanity and never controlled by a single entity.
We’re a neutral, transparent steward of the open AGI ecosystem, uniting researchers, builders, and communities through open research (ROMA, OML, Open Deep Search), global programs like the Open AGI Summit, and a fast-growing builder community.
The role
You’ll own Sentient’s relationship with the global open-source AI community.
This includes developers building open models, tools, agents, data, and evals.
You’ll be a credible champion for open-source AI as a whole, earn the trust of builders across the ecosystem, and bring the best of them and their projects into Sentient’s orbit.
You’ll set community and ecosystem strategy, recruit builders to build on the open ecosystem broadly and on Sentient’s own stack (ROMA, ODS, Evo Skills, Arena, OML), and bring council members, advisors, and recognized thought leaders into the Foundation’s mission and governance.
You’ll help drive our open-source AI grants and investment program, which backs great open-source AI wherever it’s built, and carry the community’s needs back into product and research.
This is a senior, relationship-first leadership role for a recognized leader in open-source AI.
- What You’ll Do
- Own the Foundation’s community and ecosystem strategy for open-source AI broadly.
Champion great open models, tools, agents, and evals across the ecosystem, with Sentient’s own stack (ROMA, ODS, Evo Skills, Arena, OML) as one important part of it.
Stand up the programs, content, and team that get developers from zero to shipping.
- Champion open-source AI through writing and storytelling, such as tutorials, docs, blog posts, demos, and talks that help developers build with the best of the open ecosystem, including Sentient’s own contributions (ROMA, ODS, OML) where they’re the right tool.
- Support and help drive Sentient's open-source AI grants / investment program.
Source promising projects and builders, vetting technical quality and fit, and shepherding funded teams as they build on the Stack.
- Lead and scale the developer community across Discord, Git Hub, and X. Answer hard questions, review contributions, and turn power users into ecosystem partners.
- Recruit and convene ecosystem leaders. Bring council members, advisors, and recognized open-source thought leaders into the Foundation’s mission, programs, and governance.
- Represent Sentient at hackathons, conferences, and online; run developer workshops and contribute to open-source libraries.
- Be the developer's advocate internally: synthesize feedback into clear, prioritized input for product and research, and help shape SDK and API design.
- Partner with product, research, and growth to amplify developer success stories across the open-source AI ecosystem and onboard new agent, model, data, and compute partners into the open ecosystem and, where it fits, onto the Sentient Stack.
- What We’re Looking For
- 4+ years in developer relations, community, or ecosystem roles, ideally in open-source AI/ML, data, or infrastructure.
- Strong hands‑on technical ability.
You can read and write code (Python and/or Type Script), work directly with agent frameworks and the open stack (ROMA, ODS, Evo Skills, Arena, OML), and go deep enough technically to earn the respect of serious open-source developers.
- 4+ years building open-source software yourself, with a deep personal network across the open-source AI developer community.
You already know many of the developers, maintainers, and projects we want to reach, and they know you.
- A track record of recruiting and convening senior people ( founders, advisors, council members, or thought leaders) around a mission, and of being a recognized voice in an open-source or developer community.
- A working understanding of LLMs, AI agents, and agent frameworks, and the ability to explain complex technical ideas simply through writing, demos, and talks.
- A public portfolio of developer content, eg: tutorials, talks, demos, OSS contributions, or community building.
- Sound technical judgment for evaluating projects, for sourcing and vetting grant and investment candidates.
- Comfort with, or genuine curiosity about, Web3 / token incentive mechanics and on‑chain interoperability.
- High user empathy, strong written communication, and a bias toward shipping.
- Nice to have
- Experience contributing to or maintaining open-source AI/ML projects.
- Familiarity with agent frameworks, model fine‑tuning, evaluation/benchmarking, or decentralized/crypto ecosystems.
- Experience running or participating in a grants, accelerator, or developer‑fund program.
- A track record of measurably growing a developer ecosystem.
- Why join
Build and lead the community and ecosystem function for an open AGI network at the ground floor, work across the full open-source AI + Web3 stack (OML, ROMA, ODS, Evo Skills, Arena), help direct where grant capital flows, and help a 2M+ community build and own the next wave of AI agents.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Head of Open Source Ecosystem employer: Sentient Foundation
At Sentient, we are committed to fostering a vibrant and inclusive work culture that champions innovation and collaboration in the open-source AI community. As a leader in this space, we offer unparalleled opportunities for professional growth, allowing you to shape the future of AI while working alongside passionate experts. Our location provides a dynamic environment where creativity thrives, and our dedication to transparency ensures that every voice is heard and valued.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Open Source Ecosystem
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Sentient Foundation or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Sentient Foundation.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Sentient Foundation.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Sentient Foundation that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Open Source Ecosystem
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Sentient Foundation.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Sentient Foundation and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Sentient Foundation
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Sentient Foundation uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
