Certification Project Manager

SUSE; Spain (TX); On-site; USD 62,000 - 89,000; Full time

Job summary

SUSE seeks a Certification Project Manager to lead end-to-end security certification projects for our enterprise products. You will drive milestones for Common Criteria, FIPS, and other evaluation criteria, balancing scope, schedule, and quality while leveraging AI-enabled project practices.

You'll collaborate with Engineering, PMs, labs and international certification bodies to ensure compliant, auditable delivery.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in software product development or enterprise IT.
• 1–2 years managing product security compliance (Common Criteria/NIAP) incl NIST/FIPS/ISO.
• Experience with Linux, KVM, containerized virtualization and HCI security.
• Proven milestone execution with data-driven prioritization using Jira/Confluence/MS Project and AI tools.
• Strong communication and English; German/Spanish/Italian is a plus.
• PM qualification (PMP/GPM/IPMA).

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end certification cycles (Common Criteria, FIPS) from initiation to completion.
• Translate SFRs/SARs into engineering milestones and track progress.
• Interface with labs (ITSEFs) and certification bodies (BSI, NIAP, ANSSI).
• Coordinate across Engineering, PM, and partners to align compliance requirements.
• Maintain audit-ready documentation and secure data handling.
• Organize events and enablement sessions on compliance standards.

Skills

Security compliance

Project management

Cloud-native

KVM virtualization

AI-enabled productivity

English proficiency

Education

PM qualification (PMP / GPM/IPMA)

Tools

Jira

Confluence

MS Project

Job description

About Us

SUSE is a global leader of enterprise open source software. By transforming community innovations into secure, sovereign and AI-ready solutions, SUSE empowers customers to escape vendor lock-in and regain control of their IT destiny. Through industry-leading Linux, Kubernetes, Edge and AI infrastructure solutions, SUSE delivers the flexibility to innovate everywhere—from the data centre to multi-cloud and out to the edge. Only SUSE also manages many Linux and Kubernetes distributions. At SUSE, Choice Happens because we prioritise community, interoperability and relentless innovation. Discover how we power mission- critical resilience at www.suse.com.

Certification Project Manager

Job Description

Leading end-to-end security certification projects, ensuring our enterprise portfolio maintains high-assurance compliance. Driving precise delivery milestones, mitigate project risks, and align complex software architectures with strict evaluation criteria by leveraging deep domain expertise in cloud-native virtualization, KVM-based hypervisors, and containerised hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI).

Responsibilities

• End-to-End Certification Ownership: Drive complex certification cycles (e.g., Common Criteria, FIPS) from initiation to completion for enterprise products, ensuring adherence to scope, schedule, and quality while leveraging AI-enabled project practices.


• Milestone & Requirement Integration: Translate security functional/assurance requirements (SFRs/SARs) into actionable engineering milestones and rigorously track their progress.


• Authority & Lab Interface: Act as the primary interface for evaluation labs (ITSEFs) and international certification bodies (e.g., BSI, NIAP, ANSSI), managing application paperwork and technical inquiries.


• Cross-Functional Coordination: Liaise across Engineering, PM, external consultants, and partners to align compliance requirements and manage project expectations.


• Secure Environment Rigor: Manage projects handling sensitive security data, proprietary information, and maintaining meticulous, audit-ready cycle documentation.


• Knowledge Enablement: Organise targeted events, workshops, and enablement sessions to foster internal security awareness and share compliance standards.

Candidate Profile

• Experience: 5+ years in the software product development industry or enterprise IT infrastructure.


• Domain Expertise: Minimum 1-2 years managing product security compliance, with a primary focus on Common Criteria (specifically NIAP VPP or GPOS), alongside NIST/FIPS or ISO standards.


• Virtualization & Cloud-Native Expertise: Technical familiarity with Linux operating systems, hypervisor technology stacks (e.g., KVM), containerised virtualization, hyperconverged architecture, and a strong understanding of their security boundaries.


• Project Execution: Strong track record of milestone execution and data-driven prioritisation using standard tracking tools (Jira, Confluence, MS Project) and AI-assisted productivity workflows.


• Soft Skills & Communication: Outstanding diplomatic and negotiation skills for managing complex relationships with external labs and internal teams. Fluent, professional command of spoken and written English (German, Spanish, or Italian is a plus).


• Credentials: Recognised project management qualification (e.g., PMP, or GPM/IPMA level C/D).

This position is subject to a background check(s), including criminal, credit, and/or employment references. The candidate is required to complete the background check(s) once an offer has been accepted. This will be conducted by SUSE’s external provider, where legally permitted.

As part of our commitment to pay transparency, we are sharing the expected total salary range associated with this role. This range includes the base salary and any applicable target bonus opportunity, subject to the terms of the relevant compensation plans and company policies. Please note that the salary range provided is intended only as a guideline. Individual offers may vary based on objective, non-discriminatory factors, including experience, skills, qualifications, geographic location, internal equity, and budget considerations. In addition to competitive compensation, we are proud to offer an attractive benefits package. Pay Range for Italy: €54,000.00 - €77,000.00.

Job

Quality

What We Offer

We empower you to be bold, driving your career to create the future you want. We celebrate and reward your achievements.

SUSE is a dynamic environment that is evolving rapidly, thus requiring agility, strong entrepreneurship and an open mind.

This is a compelling opportunity for the right person to join us as we continue to scale and prosper.

We give you the freedom to be yourself. You will work in a global community of unique individuals – like you – with different backgrounds, talents, skills and perspectives. A truly open community where everyone is welcome, has a voice and is encouraged to reach their full potential regardless of age, gender, race, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or any other characteristics.

We are proud to offer an attractive benefits package.

SUSE Values

SUSE’s culture is centered on four key values - Choice, Community, Trust, and Innovation - which are deeply integrated with our open source ethos. SUSE fosters a diverse and inclusive environment where our people are encouraged to be themselves.

Choice

• We are continuously making choice happen


• We are accountable for our choices


• We never get complacent

Community

• Nobody is smarter than everybody


• We embrace diversity of thought


• We are “open source first, upstream first” where collaboration benefits all

Trust

• We are trusted to deliver with integrity


• We offer trust by default, and do not wait for it to be earned


• We foster an environment where everyone trusts each other

Innovation

• We foster a culture of experimentation, and embrace change by challenging the norm


• We are committed to continuous improvement, creativity and adaptability


• Ideas are great, but without execution they are just ideas