About CleanStart:
CleanStart is revolutionizing software supply chain security through our
advanced vulnerability database platform and CleanStart product line. We provide hardened, vulnerability-free container images with built-in security, compliance, and performance benefits. Our mission is to transform container security by eliminating pre-existing vulnerabilities and providing full visibility and control over the software supply chain.
Role Overview:
As Senior Manager of Core Technology for Core Build, you will lead our strategic
efforts in developing and maintaining secure build infrastructure and processes for our CleanStart container platform. This highly technical role (85-90% technical focus) requires deep expertise in Linux package compilation, kernel knowledge, and C programming to develop hardened base images with the highest standards of security, reproducibility, and performance. You will provide technical leadership while spending a smaller portion of time (10-15%) on people management, collaborating across teams to deliver innovative build solutions that set new industry standards for secure containers.
Key Responsibilities:
Technical Oversight and Implementation (Primary Focus)
- Lead the creation and maintenance of hardened base images across
multiple architectures - Implement expert-level Linux package compilation systems with deep
understanding of linking, ldd, and shared libraries - Develop and optimize low-level C components for security and
performance - Apply in-depth Linux kernel knowledge to secure build processes
- Oversee the design and implementation of secure build pipelines and
infrastructure - Ensure proper dependency management and resolution across the build
ecosystem - Implement reproducible build processes that guarantee consistent,
verifiable outputs - Establish secure package compilation systems with proper provenance
tracking - Design multi-stage build processes that optimize for security and
minimization - Ensure proper validation and verification mechanisms throughout the build
lifecycle
Strategic Direction and Planning
- Develop comprehensive roadmaps for build systems and infrastructure
across environments - Align build strategy with overall business and product objectives
- Collaborate with Product Management to define build feature requirements
- Establish technical standards and best practices for reproducible, secure
builds - Drive build architecture decisions with a focus on long-term scalability and
security - Evaluate emerging build technologies and approaches for potential adoption
- Create multi-quarter planning for build infrastructure and capability
enhancements
Team Leadership and Management
- Provide technical mentorship and guidance to build engineers
- Establish clear technical goals and performance expectations
- Conduct periodic 1:1 technical discussions and code reviews
- Foster a culture of engineering excellence and technical innovation
- Manage technical priorities and resource allocation
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Security, QA, and Infrastructure teams on integrated workflows
- Collaborate with Compliance to meet build requirements for certifications
- Work with Package Research team on vulnerability management strategies
- Coordinate with Customer Success on custom build requirements
- Represent build expertise in technical forums and decision-making
- Communicate build capabilities and roadmaps to internal stakeholders
- Ensure seamless integration between build systems and other platform
components
Build Infrastructure Management
- Oversee build infrastructure across development, staging, and production
environments - Ensure proper scaling and capacity management for build systems
- Implement robust monitoring, logging, and alerting for build processes
- Design disaster recovery and high availability strategies for critical build
infrastructure - Optimize build performance, resource utilization, and cost efficiency
- Establish security controls and access management for build systems
- Manage build artifact storage, caching, and distribution mechanisms
Innovation and Research
- Drive innovation in secure build practices and container optimization
- Identify opportunities for build improvements in supply chain integrity
- Evaluate emerging build approaches for potential adoption
- Balance security requirements with performance and efficiency
considerations - Sponsor research initiatives in build optimization and security
- Foster a culture of innovation and experimentation within the build team
Documentation and Knowledge Management
- Ensure comprehensive documentation of build systems and processes
- Oversee the creation of build whitepapers and technical specifications
- Develop internal training programs on secure build principles
- Establish knowledge sharing practices across engineering teams
- Create guidance for implementing new build features and capabilities
- Ensure proper documentation for compliance and certification processes
Required Qualifications:
- Expert-level proficiency in C programming language (must-have)
- Deep expertise in Linux kernel internals and system architecture (musthave)
- Extensive experience with Linux package compilation, linking, and
dependency management (must-have) - Advanced knowledge of ldd, shared libraries, and dynamic linking in
Linux environments (must-have) - Proven ability to develop and maintain core base images for secure
container environments - 8+ years of experience in software engineering, build systems, or related
fields - 3+ years of technical leadership experience
- Deep expertise in container technologies, build systems, and Linux
environments - Practical experience designing and implementing reproducible build
pipelines - Strong understanding of dependency management and package resolution
- Experience with multi-architecture builds (AMD64, ARM64, etc.)
- Knowledge of secure build practices and supply chain security
- Understanding of containerization technologies and best practices
- Experience with infrastructure as code and configuration management
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Advanced degree in Computer Science or related field preferred
Preferred Qualifications:
- Extensive experience compiling and optimizing Linux packages from
source - In-depth knowledge of Linux kernel modules and kernel programming
- Experience maintaining custom Linux distributions or base images
- Expertise in binary analysis, linking, and system-level optimizations
- Experience leading build system transformations or major upgrades
- Background in security engineering or secure DevOps
- Knowledge of SLSA framework and supply chain security best practices
- Experience with declarative build systems and reproducible builds
- Familiarity with FIPS compliance requirements for build environments
- Understanding of container security and minimization techniques
- Experience with automated testing and validation frameworks
- Background in package management and distribution systems
- Knowledge of artifact signing and verification mechanisms
- Experience with cloud-based build services and infrastructure
- Contributions to open source build tools or container projects
- Active participation in container or build system communities
Success Criteria:
- Within 30 days: Develop a comprehensive understanding of CleanStarts build
systems, challenges, and technical capabilities - Within 90 days: Establish a detailed build infrastructure roadmap with clear
priorities, timelines, and resource requirements - Within 6 months: Demonstrate measurable improvements in build security,
reproducibility, and efficiency - Within 12 months: Successfully implement advanced build capabilities that
set new standards for secure container delivery
This position offers an exceptional opportunity to apply deep technical expertise in
Linux, C programming, and package compilation to lead cutting-edge work in secure build systems for container security, while providing technical leadership in a fast-growing organization committed to excellence in software supply chain security.
