Open Source Solutions Engineer
Syntas is looking for an Open Source Solutions Engineer to help our clients replace expensive SaaS products with self-hosted open-source alternatives. You will evaluate OSS options, deploy and customize them for client environments, and ensure successful adoption—delivering the functionality clients need at a fraction of SaaS costs while giving them full control over their data and infrastructure. This role requires deep familiarity with the open-source ecosystem: knowing which projects are mature and reliable, understanding deployment and operational requirements, and having the skills to customize and extend OSS solutions to meet specific client needs. You will be the expert who navigates the open-source landscape and translates that knowledge into real cost savings and capability gains for clients.
About the Role
As an Open Source Solutions Engineer at Syntas, you will be the expert who helps clients break free from SaaS vendor lock-in. For almost every expensive SaaS product, there is an open-source alternative—sometimes multiple options with different tradeoffs. Your job is to know this landscape, evaluate options for specific client needs, deploy solutions reliably, and customize them to fit how each client actually works.
The financial impact of this work can be substantial. A client paying $50,000/year for a SaaS analytics platform might achieve the same capabilities with a self-hosted Metabase or Superset deployment. A company spending $100,000+ on enterprise project management might find that a customized OpenProject or Plane instance serves them better. You will build the business case, manage the transition, and ensure clients realize these savings without sacrificing functionality.
Your work spans the full lifecycle of OSS adoption. In evaluation, you will assess projects for maturity, active development, community health, and fit with client requirements. For deployment, you will set up infrastructure, configure for production reliability, and implement backup and recovery procedures. Customization often follows: integrating with existing systems, extending functionality, or adapting interfaces to match client workflows. Finally, you will ensure successful adoption through documentation, training, and handoff.
The technical depth required varies by project. Some OSS deployments are straightforward: set up infrastructure, run containers, configure authentication, done. Others require diving into codebases to add features, fix issues, or build integrations. You should be comfortable across this spectrum, knowing when simple deployment is sufficient and when custom development adds enough value to justify the investment.
What You Will Build
- 1Production deployments of open-source alternatives to expensive SaaS products
- 2Customizations and extensions to OSS projects that address specific client requirements
- 3Integration layers connecting OSS solutions with existing client systems and data sources
- 4Infrastructure and DevOps pipelines for reliable self-hosted application operation
- 5Migration tools and processes for moving data from SaaS to self-hosted alternatives
- 6Documentation and training materials for client teams taking over OSS operations
- 7Evaluation frameworks and recommendation reports comparing OSS options for specific use cases
Key Responsibilities
- Evaluate open-source alternatives to SaaS products, assessing functionality, maturity, and fit
- Deploy and configure OSS solutions in client environments with production-grade reliability
- Customize OSS applications through configuration, plugins, or direct code modification
- Build integrations connecting OSS solutions with client systems, databases, and workflows
- Implement security configurations: authentication, authorization, network isolation, and encryption
- Design and execute data migration plans from SaaS products to self-hosted alternatives
- Set up monitoring, alerting, and backup systems for production OSS deployments
- Create operational documentation, runbooks, and training materials for client teams
- Troubleshoot issues across application, infrastructure, and integration layers
- Contribute fixes and improvements upstream to OSS projects when appropriate
- Build business cases comparing total cost of ownership for SaaS vs. self-hosted options
- Stay current with the open-source landscape, evaluating new projects and evolving existing recommendations
- Train client teams on OSS operations and support transition to client ownership
What We Are Looking For
- 4+ years of software engineering experience with significant work on open-source projects
- Broad familiarity with the OSS landscape: analytics, CRM, project management, HR, and other categories
- Strong Linux system administration skills including package management, services, and troubleshooting
- Experience with containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes or Docker Compose)
- Proficiency with infrastructure as code tools: Terraform, Ansible, or similar
- Back-end development skills in at least one language (Python, Go, JavaScript/Node.js, Ruby)
- Database experience including PostgreSQL, MySQL, and basic administration tasks
- Understanding of web application security: authentication, HTTPS, network isolation
- Experience with monitoring and observability tools: Prometheus, Grafana, or similar
- Excellent troubleshooting skills across application, database, and infrastructure issues
- Strong communication skills for client-facing evaluation discussions and training
- Self-directed work style with ability to research, evaluate, and recommend solutions independently
Nice to Have
- Contributions to open-source projects (issues, PRs, documentation)
- Experience with specific OSS categories: Metabase, n8n, Keycloak, GitLab, Mattermost, etc.
- Background in infrastructure management or DevOps roles
- Familiarity with licensing implications: GPL, MIT, Apache, and commercial considerations
- Experience with data migration tools and strategies
- Knowledge of compliance requirements affecting self-hosted deployments (SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR)
- Experience with high-availability and disaster recovery architectures
- Background in cost analysis and TCO calculations for infrastructure decisions
- Prior consulting experience with client-facing technology recommendations
- Familiarity with AI/ML OSS tools: Langfuse, Label Studio, MLflow
- Community involvement: speaking at conferences, writing about OSS topics
- Experience managing or maintaining open-source projects
Tech Stack
Benefits & Perks
- Competitive salary: $130,000 - $185,000 depending on experience
- Equity participation with meaningful upside as we grow
- Fully remote work with flexible hours—work from anywhere in the US
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance (100% premium covered for employee)
- Unlimited PTO with encouraged minimum of 4 weeks—we mean it
- $3,000 annual learning and development budget for courses, books, and certifications
- Conference attendance budget including travel—attend or speak at open source conferences
- Top-tier hardware: MacBook Pro, external display, and peripherals of your choice
- All AI tools and subscriptions you need: GPT-4, Claude, GitHub Copilot, and more
- Quarterly team offsites in interesting locations
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid parental leave (12 weeks)
- Home office setup stipend ($1,000)
- Work on genuinely interesting problems across diverse industries
Ready to Apply?
Send us your resume and a brief introduction. Tell us about your experience with AI/ML systems and what excites you about this opportunity.