---
title: "Wild Cloud - Apps Lead"
summary: "Curate, integrate, and maintain the ecosystem of open-source applications that make Wild Cloud a complete self-hosted platform for digital independence."
date: 2025-08-23
showDate: false
showWordCount: false
showReadingTime: false
---

{{< lead >}}
Lead the curation and integration of open-source applications that transform Wild Cloud from infrastructure into a complete, user-friendly platform for digital self-determination.
{{< /lead >}}

## Position Overview

The Civil Society Technology Foundation (CSTF) seeks an experienced Wild Cloud Apps Lead to oversee the application ecosystem that makes Wild Cloud a comprehensive alternative to centralized platforms. This role combines technical integration skills with strategic thinking about which applications best serve our mission of accessible digital self-determination.

Wild Cloud's value comes not just from its Kubernetes infrastructure, but from the carefully curated "stacks" of open-source applications that provide communication, productivity, intelligence, and development capabilities. Our Apps Lead ensures these applications work seamlessly together and serve real user needs.

## About Wild Cloud Applications

Wild Cloud provides reference application stacks that demonstrate the practical value of self-hosted infrastructure:

- **Communication Stack**: Self-hosted messaging, video conferencing, email, and collaboration tools
- **Productivity Stack**: Document management, project management, calendars, and workflow automation
- **Intelligence Stack**: AI/ML capabilities, data analysis, and knowledge management running locally
- **Development Stack**: Code hosting, CI/CD, issue tracking, and development environment provisioning

Each stack combines best-of-breed open-source applications into cohesive, user-friendly experiences that rival centralized platform offerings while maintaining user control and privacy.

## Primary Responsibilities

### Application Curation & Evaluation
- Research and evaluate open-source applications for potential inclusion in Wild Cloud stacks
- Assess applications for technical quality, security, maintainability, and alignment with CSTF principles
- Monitor the open-source ecosystem for emerging applications that could benefit Wild Cloud users
- Maintain decision frameworks for application selection based on user needs and technical merit

### Integration & Stack Development
- Design and implement Kubernetes deployments (Helm charts, operators) for curated applications
- Ensure seamless integration between applications within each stack
- Develop configuration management and deployment automation for application stacks
- Create unified authentication, data sharing, and workflow integration across applications

### Application Maintenance & Updates
- Maintain existing application integrations and keep them current with upstream releases
- Monitor application health, security vulnerabilities, and performance issues
- Coordinate with upstream open-source projects on bug reports, feature requests, and contributions
- Manage deprecation and replacement of applications that no longer meet Wild Cloud standards

### User Experience & Stack Coherence
- Ensure consistent user experience across different applications within each stack
- Design onboarding flows and documentation for application stacks
- Gather user feedback on application usability and integration effectiveness
- Balance feature completeness with simplicity and ease of use

## Required Qualifications

- **Container Orchestration**: Strong experience with Kubernetes, Helm charts, and container deployment
- **Open Source Ecosystem**: Deep familiarity with open-source applications across productivity, communication, and development domains
- **Systems Integration**: Proven ability to integrate multiple applications into cohesive systems
- **Technical Evaluation**: Experience evaluating software for security, performance, and maintainability
- **Mission Alignment**: Commitment to digital self-determination and open-source principles

## Preferred Qualifications

- **Self-Hosting Experience**: Hands-on experience running self-hosted applications and home servers
- **DevOps Expertise**: Experience with CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code, and deployment automation
- **Security Focus**: Understanding of security best practices for self-hosted environments
- **Open Source Contribution**: Active contributor to open-source projects with understanding of project governance
- **User Experience Design**: Ability to design coherent user experiences across multiple applications

## Key Application Areas

### Communication & Collaboration
- **Messaging Platforms**: Matrix, XMPP, or similar federated communication systems
- **Video Conferencing**: Jitsi, BigBlueButton, or similar self-hosted meeting solutions
- **Email Systems**: Mail servers, webmail clients, and spam filtering solutions
- **File Sharing**: NextCloud, Syncthing, or similar collaborative file management
- **Team Collaboration**: Forums, wikis, and knowledge management platforms

### Productivity & Organization
- **Document Management**: Office suites, document editors, and version control
- **Project Management**: Issue tracking, kanban boards, and workflow management
- **Calendar & Scheduling**: Calendar servers, scheduling tools, and event management
- **Note Taking**: Personal knowledge management and note-taking applications
- **Financial Management**: Bookkeeping, expense tracking, and financial planning tools

### Intelligence & Analytics
- **AI/ML Platforms**: Local LLM deployment, machine learning frameworks, and AI assistants
- **Data Analysis**: Business intelligence, reporting, and visualization tools
- **Search & Discovery**: Full-text search, data indexing, and knowledge discovery
- **Monitoring & Observability**: System monitoring, log analysis, and performance tracking

### Development & Technical
- **Version Control**: Git hosting, code review, and repository management
- **CI/CD Systems**: Build automation, testing frameworks, and deployment pipelines
- **Development Environments**: Container-based development, IDE servers, and coding tools
- **Database Management**: Database servers, administration tools, and backup systems

## Technical Responsibilities

### Kubernetes Integration
- Create and maintain Helm charts for application deployments
- Develop Kubernetes operators for complex application lifecycles
- Implement proper resource management, scaling, and health monitoring
- Ensure applications work across different Kubernetes distributions and configurations

### Configuration Management
- Design consistent configuration approaches across all applications
- Implement secrets management and secure credential handling
- Create backup and restore procedures for application data
- Develop migration tools for moving between application versions

### Quality Assurance
- Establish testing frameworks for application integrations
- Create automated deployment and upgrade testing
- Monitor application performance and resource utilization
- Implement security scanning and vulnerability management

### Documentation & Support
- Create comprehensive deployment and configuration documentation
- Develop troubleshooting guides for common application issues
- Write user guides that explain application capabilities and workflows
- Maintain API documentation and integration specifications

## Success Metrics

- **Stack Completeness**: Comprehensive application coverage across communication, productivity, intelligence, and development needs
- **Integration Quality**: Seamless user experience across applications within each stack
- **Deployment Success**: Reliable application deployments across diverse Wild Cloud environments
- **User Satisfaction**: Positive feedback on application functionality and ease of use
- **Security Posture**: Timely security updates and vulnerability remediation across all applications
- **Community Contribution**: Upstream contributions and positive relationships with open-source projects

## Application Selection Criteria

Applications considered for Wild Cloud inclusion must meet these standards:

- **Open Source**: Must be libre software with transparent development and governance
- **Self-Hostable**: Must run effectively on user-controlled infrastructure
- **Production Ready**: Must be stable, secure, and suitable for real-world use
- **Well Maintained**: Must have active development and responsive security practices
- **Standards Compliant**: Must use open protocols and standards for interoperability
- **Resource Efficient**: Must run effectively on modest hardware resources
- **User Focused**: Must provide genuine utility with reasonable learning curves

## Organizational Alignment

This role requires deep alignment with CSTF principles:

- **Self-determination by Design**: Ensure applications empower user control and data ownership
- **Open Source Always**: Only curate applications that respect software freedom
- **Practical Autonomy**: Select applications users can understand, configure, and maintain
- **Interoperability via Consent**: Prioritize applications that work well together and respect user choices
- **Healthy Ecosystems Win**: Focus on applications that serve communities rather than extracting value

## Compensation & Structure

This is a volunteer leadership position with the Civil Society Technology Foundation. As the Wild Cloud 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 open-source application ecosystem and the importance of creating cohesive user experiences. We welcome applications from developers, system administrators, and integrators who share our vision of making powerful applications accessible through self-hosting.

To express interest in this position:

1. Join our development community on [git.civilsociety.dev](https://git.civilsociety.dev/CSTF/wild-cloud/issues)
2. Review the [Wild Cloud project](https://mywildcloud.org) and our [principles](/about/) to understand our approach
3. Introduce yourself as a reply to [this forum post](https://forum.civilsociety.dev/t/seeking-wild-cloud-apps-lead-curate-the-open-source-applications-that-make-self-hosting-complete/23/1) (or message the post's author) and share your experience with open-source applications and vision for self-hosted application stacks

We operate with transparent, distributed governance and welcome collaborative input on application selection and integration strategy.

## Contact

For questions about this position or Wild Cloud application development, [reply to this forum post](https://forum.civilsociety.dev/t/seeking-wild-cloud-apps-lead-curate-the-open-source-applications-that-make-self-hosting-complete/23/1).

Join us in building application ecosystems that demonstrate the practical power of digital self-determination through carefully curated, expertly integrated open-source software.