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 environment.
Why join us?
At VATES, you will find a flexible work environment, a supportive and approachable team, and a role that makes a real impact on a daily basis.
Location :
Our offices are based in Grenoble or Paris, but we operate on a fully remote model to provide greater flexibility and daily work comfort.
You are free to work 100% remotely or come on-site occasionally, depending on your preferences.
Benefits :
-Meal vouchers
-Health insurance coverage funded at 50% by the company
-Benefits provided by the Works Council (employee discounts, cinema tickets, etc.)
-Employee savings plan (PEE)
-Profit-sharing scheme
-Annual bonus
-100% remote work
As part of our diversity and inclusion policy, this position is open to all candidates, regardless of gender.
Profile required
We are looking for a technical and cross-functional professional who is comfortable with infrastructure, virtualization, and hardware environments, and who can bring teams and partners together around a strategic, high-impact project.
We are looking for someone with:
-Bachelor’s degree to a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Network & Systems, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
-Several years of experience.
-Autonomous and pragmatic. Pulls in the right people (engineering, product, alliances, support, community).
-Player-coach: as happy designing the model as plugging a server in to test it.
-Fluent English.
Company description
Vates is a French software company specializing in Open Source and virtualization, with a strong commitment to open and collaborative development. Our main projects, Xen Orchestra and XCP-ng, cover the entire virtualization stack — from the hypervisor (Xen) and the virtualization platform (XCP-ng) to virtual machine management and backup (Xen Orchestra).
Our team is distributed across several countries and fully embraces remote work, with transparent working methods and accessible communication channels. At Vates, we are driven by a people-centered company culture focused on kindness, inclusivity, and a flat organizational structure. Every team member is encouraged to contribute ideas, make decisions, and grow with the company.
Our Open Source model is at the core of everything we do — not only in our code, available on GitHub and GitLab, but also in our collaborative approach with the community. We believe in an “upstream first” philosophy, and we dedicate our expertise and resources to fundamental projects such as Xen, while supporting contributors of all levels in joining us on this journey.
On 8/20/2026