Global Principal Senior Specialist Solution Architect - Lightwell

Red Hat; Virginia; On-site; USD 243,000 - 402,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

FSAs for healthcare & dependent care

HSA for high-deductible plans

401(k) with employer match

Paid time off & holidays

Parental leave

Job summary

Red Hat is seeking a Solution Architect with deep Java and Python roots to lead technical sales, client architecture, and partner integrations around Lightwell. You will drive presales, POCs, and security-compliant responses for enterprise bids.

Role requires OpenShift, Kubernetes, and security-first thinking; you will define supply chain architectures and translate field feedback into RFEs for product teams, engaging with a broad partner ecosystem.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of enterprise software engineering and solutions architecture experience.
• Strong background in enterprise backend development with Java (Spring Boot/Jakarta EE) or Python (FastAPI/Django).
• Deep technical familiarity with the Red Hat ecosystem (OpenShift, Ansible, RHEL) and cloud-native Kubernetes architectures.
• Hands-on expertise with supply-chain security standards (SLSA framework, SBOM standards, VEX, OSV.dev).
• Demonstrated ability to conduct technical validation, author comprehensive RFP responses, articulate commercial value, present to large audiences, and guide complex client organizations through DevSecOps transformations.

Responsibilities

• Presales Architecture & Solution Selling: Lead architectural discovery, technical validation, POCs, and technical win strategies for Red Hat Lightwell prospects.
• RFP & Technical Response Leadership: Author detailed technical responses, architectural designs, and security compliance documentation for enterprise bids.
• Ecosystem Integration Architecture: Design enterprise pipeline architectures incorporating Lightwell's partner ecosystem.
• Technical Evangelism & Thought Leadership: Speak at customer forums, industry events, and executive meetings; create technical demos, blogs, and marketing materials.
• Software Supply Chain Security & Governance: Define client architectures for SBOM generation, VEX workflows, and OSV.dev usage.
• Partnering for Integrated Solutions: Build out integrated Red Hat solutions on OpenShift, Ansible, RHEL, Lightwell with technical teams.

Skills

Java

Python

OpenShift

Ansible

Kubernetes

SBOM

VEX

OSV.dev

RHEL

Security

Tools

JFrog Artifactory

Sonatype Nexus

AWS

Terraform

GitHub Actions

Job description

About The Role

We are seeking an Solution Architect with deep Java/Python engineering roots and specialized expertise in Red Hat Lightwell to lead technical sales, client architecture, and partner ecosystem integrations. In this role, you will support Lightwell sales through the demonstration and integration with modern DevSecOps pipelines, shift-left security frameworks, and zero-downtime deployment engines centered around the Red Hat Lightwell ecosystem.

You will act as the primary technical authority in enterprise client engagements—evaluating partner integrations (e.g., Sonar, Sonatype, JFrog, Zscaler, Palo Alto Networks), defining supply chain security standards (SBOM, VEX, OSV.dev), and translating field feedback into actionable Requests for Enhancement (RFEs) for product engineering.

What You Will Do

• Presales Architecture & Solution Selling: Partner with regional Tech Sales leadership, account managers, and consulting to lead architectural discovery, technical validation, proof-of-concepts (POCs), and technical win strategies for Red Hat Lightwell prospects.
• RFP & Technical Response Leadership: Support the Request for Proposal (RFP) and presales teams by authoring detailed technical responses, architectural designs, and security compliance documentation for enterprise customer bids and formal evaluations.
• Ecosystem Integration Architecture: Design enterprise pipeline architectures incorporating Lightwell's core technology partner ecosystem—integrating build tools, artifact repositories, network security, and security scanners (including Sonar, Sonatype, JFrog, Zscaler, and Palo Alto Networks).
• Technical Evangelism & Thought Leadership: Serve as a prominent subject matter expert and evangelist for Red Hat Lightwell by speaking at customer forums, industry events, and executive customer meetings. Support the broader Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy by actively driving the creation, curation, and delivery of technical demos, videos, architectural blogs, and co-branded marketing materials.
• Software Supply Chain Security & Governance: Define client architectures for software supply chain transparency—mandating Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) generation, implementing Vulnerability Exploitability eXchange (VEX) workflows to minimize triage noise, and utilizing open-source vulnerability databases like OSV.dev.
• Partnering for Integrated Solutions: Provide thought leadership and the build out and evangelism of integrated Red Hat solutions on OpenShift, Ansible, RHEL, and Lightwell with other Technical Sellers, Consulting, and Business Units.
• Field Enablement & Voice of the Customer: Collaborate with ecosystem and marketing teams to build GTM content kits, technical integration guidance, and knowledge bases; establish feedback loops that convert customer onboarding blockers and RFEs into prioritized engineering roadmaps.

What You Will Bring

• 10+ years of enterprise software engineering and solutions architecture experience, with a focus on technical presales, solution selling, or client-facing consulting.
• Strong background in enterprise backend development with Java (Spring Boot/Jakarta EE) or Python (FastAPI/Django).
• Deep technical familiarity with the Red Hat ecosystem (OpenShift, Ansible, RHEL) and cloud-native Kubernetes architectures.
• Hands‑on expertise with supply-chain security standards (SLSA framework, SBOM standards, VEX, OSV.dev).
• Demonstrated ability to conduct technical validation, author comprehensive RFP responses, articulate commercial value, present to large audiences, and guide complex client organizations through DevSecOps transformations.

Architectural & Sales Keyword Matrix

Use this matrix to identify candidates who possess the mix of technical sales capability, Red Hat ecosystem mastery, and supply‑chain security depth required for this role.

• Platform Infrastructure & Red Hat Ecosystem
• Required Qualification: Java and/or Python
• Supporting Qualifications: Red Hat OpenShift (ROSA, ARO, OCP), Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Kubernetes (K8s), Helm, Ansible Automation Platform, Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, Pulumi.
• Understanding of Technology Partner Ecosystem & Security
• Artifact Repositories & Delivery: JFrog Artifactory, Sonatype Nexus, AWS CodeArtifact, GitHub Packages.
• Code Quality & SAST: Sonar (SonarQube), Checkmarx, Fortify.
• SCA & Dependency Security: Sonatype Lifecycle, Snyk, Black Duck, Dependabot.
• Network & Cloud Security: Zscaler, Palo Alto Networks (Prisma Cloud), Cloudflare.
• Secrets & Container Security: HashiCorp Vault, GitGuardian, Trivy, Aqua Security, Sysdig.
• Understanding of Supply Chain Security, SBOM & VEX
• SBOM Standards & Generation: SPDX, CycloneDX, Syft, Trivy, OWASP Dependency-Track.
• Vulnerability Triage & Ingestion: OpenVEX, VEX (Vulnerability Exploitability eXchange), OSV.dev, DefectDojo.
• Signatures & Provenance: Sigstore, Cosign, in-toto, SLSA compliance.
• Language & Build Systems
• Java Ecosystem: Spring Boot, Jakarta EE, Maven, Gradle, JaCoCo, Testcontainers.
• Python Ecosystem: FastAPI, Django, Poetry, Pipenv, Pytest, Tox, Black, Mypy.
• Sales Enablement & Delivery Execution
• GTM & Presales Tools: Technical Validation Guides, Architectural Blueprints, RFPs/RFIs, Value Engineering, Discovery Workshops.
• Deployment & GitOps: ArgoCD, Flux, Spinnaker, Blue/Green & Canary deployments.
• Customer Success & Support Lifecycle: Request for Enhancement (RFE) prioritization, LW-STAM handoffs, CSAT tracking, Root Cause Analysis (RCA).

The salary range for this position is $243,440.00 - $401,540.00 (inclusive of base pay + target incentive compensation). Actual offer will be based on your qualifications.

Pay Transparency

Red Hat determines compensation based on several factors including but not limited to job location, experience, applicable skills and training, external market value, and internal pay equity. Annual salary is one component of Red Hat’s compensation package. This position may also be eligible for bonus, commission, and/or equity. For positions with Remote-US locations, the actual salary range for the position may differ based on location but will be commensurate with job duties and relevant work experience.

About Red Hat

Red Hat is the world’s leading provider of enterprise open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to deliver high-performing Linux, cloud, container, and Kubernetes technologies. Spread across 40+ countries, our associates work flexibly across work environments, from in-office, to office-flex, to fully remote, depending on the requirements of their role. Red Hatters are encouraged to bring their best ideas, no matter their title or tenure. We're a leader in open source because of our open and inclusive environment. We hire creative, passionate people ready to contribute their ideas, help solve complex problems, and make an impact.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Flexible Spending Account - healthcare and dependent care
• Health Savings Account - high deductible medical plan
• Retirement 401(k) with employer match
• Paid time off and holidays
• Paid parental leave plans for all new parents
• Leave benefits including disability, paid family medical leave, and paid military leave
• Additional benefits including employee stock purchase plan, family planning reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, transportation expense account, employee assistance program, and more!

Note: These benefits are only applicable to full time, permanent associates at Red Hat located in the United States.

Inclusion at Red Hat

Red Hat’s culture is built on the open source principles of transparency, collaboration, and inclusion, where the best ideas can come from anywhere and anyone. When this is realized, it empowers people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to come together to share ideas, challenge the status quo, and drive innovation. Our aspiration is that everyone experiences this culture with equal opportunity and access, and that all voices are not only heard but also celebrated. We hope you will join our celebration, and we welcome and encourage applicants from all the beautiful dimensions that compose our global village.

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