Security & Compliance Expert for Gardener and GardenLinux

Job Description

We help the world run better
At SAP, we keep it simple: you bring your best to us, and we'll bring out the best in you. We're builders touching over 20 industries and 80% of global commerce, and we need your unique talents to help shape what's next. The work is challenging – but it matters. You'll find a place where you can be yourself, prioritize your wellbeing, and truly belong. What's in it for you? Constant learning, skill growth, great benefits, and a team that wants you to grow and succeed.

This is growth, not replacement. We’re not just offering a job, we’re inviting you to shape the future of cloud-native infrastructure at SAP and in all of Europe. We have committed to open source by donating our projects into the neutral NeoNephos foundation. Make your mark, invite others, and discover #SAPEUAICloudCareers. Let’s build what’s next together.

Gardener powers SAP’s global landscape and is trusted as the foundation for countless enterprise workloads at SAP and outside. We adopt the Kubernetes open-source system for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized SAP solutions and business applications. We provide solutions to run and orchestrate Kubernetes clusters on public cloud, hybrid or SAP-owned infrastructures for a variety of enterprise use cases inside and outside of SAP.

Our Security Development Team is contributing to the Gardener project with a variety of topics around OIDC, Workload Identity and Trust Based Authentication, Digital Signature verification, Audit logging, Compliance tooling and Kubernetes Security Hardening in general.

We’re building ApeiroRA, an open-source reference architecture that strengthens Europe’s digital sovereignty. This initiative is part of a broader movement to ensure security, sustainability, and compliance for cloud-to-edge computing. By joining us, you’ll contribute to a project that’s not just technical, it’s strategic for Europe’s future.

What you'll do

In this role, you will be part of a compliance team tasked to deliver security compliance activities related to Gardener and GardenLinux, AI development and other products in public cloud and on-premise delivery channels, in accordance with applicable standards and regulations. Your responsibilities include:

• Ensure that all operations within the unit adhere to established standards or SAP internal processes.

• Prepare and present regular security compliance reports to management to ensure full compliance of the regular releases and deliveries.

• Represent Gardener & GardenLinux as owner of several security related controls in internal and external audits ensuring that we operate within the established legal framework and internal guidelines.
• Obtain and maintain relevant certifications.

• Drive local and central security process & tool innovations.

• Review information security risk findings and non-compliance with business leaders and propose solutions to mitigate risks.

• Adopt and drive automation of existing and new regulations in Secure Controls Framework, Linux Foundation-owned and SAP-owned security compliance frameworks in the context of ApeiroRA.

• Communicate with public agencies and open-source bodies, representing ApeiroRA security compliance automation & certification preparation work stream.
• Consult the BTP Business Unit Security Officer (BISO) in all topics above and continuously align your activity with SAP’s Office of the Chief Security Officer (influence the influencers).

What we're looking for

• Enthusiasm for DevSecOps and advocacy for automation in security, compliance and certification preparation.
• Several years of experience (5+ years) as security expert or product manager, successfully collaborating and mentoring highly skilled technical developers.
• Technical understanding of Linux operating system concepts, cloud networking and container technologies like Kubernetes.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• Strong problem-solving , communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to analyze and resolve security compliance issues.
• Fluent written and verbal communication in English.

Nice to have:

• Fluent written and verbal communication in German would be an advantage, given the nature of some stakeholder engagements.
• Hands-on engineering experience in security, compliance, automation, or AI.
• Experience with threat modeling, audit and evidence collection.
• Relevant Linux and Kubernetes certifications (e.g. CKA, CKAD).

You don’t match all criteria, but have a strong can-do attitude and feel ready to tackle any challenge? We may still be interested in talking with you - don’t hesitate to reach out!

Meet your team

We are a team of builders, innovators, and collaborators. Our culture is rooted in openness and trust. We believe the best ideas come from diverse perspectives, and we create space for every voice to be heard.

We thrive on curiosity and continuous learning. This is a place where you can make an impact that matters. Your work will influence not only SAP but also Europe’s digital future. We support each other, we push boundaries together, and we never stop exploring what’s next.

We are extremely proud of what we have built, and we would like you to be part of this journey. We’re not just another project; we are the backbone of SAP’s cloud-native infrastructure and a leading open-source solution trusted across industries.

Bring out your best
SAP innovations help more than four hundred thousand customers worldwide work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively. Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP has evolved to become a market leader in end-to-end business application software and related services for database, analytics, intelligent technologies, and experience management. As a cloud company with two hundred million users and more than one hundred thousand employees worldwide, we are purpose-driven and future-focused, with a highly collaborative team ethic and commitment to personal development. Whether connecting global industries, people, or platforms, we help ensure every challenge gets the solution it deserves. At SAP, you can bring out your best.

We win with inclusion
SAP’s culture of inclusion, focus on health and well-being, and flexible working models help ensure that everyone – regardless of background – feels included and can run at their best. At SAP, we believe we are made stronger by the unique capabilities and qualities that each person brings to our company, and we invest in our employees to inspire confidence and help everyone realize their full potential. We ultimately believe in unleashing all talent and creating a better world.

SAP is committed to the values of Equal Employment Opportunity and provides accessibility accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you are interested in applying for employment with SAP and are in need of accommodation or special assistance to navigate our website or to complete your application, please send an e-mail with your request to Recruiting Operations Team: Careers@sap.com.

For SAP employees: Only permanent roles are eligible for the SAP Employee Referral Program, according to the eligibility rules set in the SAP Referral Policy. Specific conditions may apply for roles in Vocational Training.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, et al), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or disability, in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local legal requirements.

Successful candidates might be required to undergo a background verification with an external vendor.

AI Usage in the Recruitment Process

For information on the responsible use of AI in our recruitment process, please refer to our Guidelines for Ethical Usage of AI in the Recruiting Process.

Please note that any violation of these guidelines may result in disqualification from the hiring process.

Requisition ID: 448927 | Work Area: Software-Design and Development | Expected Travel: 0 - 10% | Career Status: Management | Employment Type: Regular Full Time | Additional Locations: #LI-Hybrid