Call for Nominations: OCP top-level Project Lead Elections

The Open Compute Project (OCP) Foundation is opening nominations for Project Leads across all 12 top-level OCP Projects. If you have helped shape an OCP Project and want to guide where it goes next, we want you to be involved! Fill out the Project Lead nomination form here.

OCP runs on volunteer leadership. Project Leads are the engineers and practitioners who help the OCP Community turn ideas into specifications, designs and other contributions that the whole industry can adopt.

What a Project Lead does

A Project Lead is responsible for the operations and deliverables of a top-level OCP Project. They lead the Project community through communication and coordination, and give contributors actionable feedback on their work.

Project Leads:

Develop and maintain the Project charter, and review it each year with the Project Community
Build the Project’s plan and roadmap, including milestones, expected OCP Contributions, and new or transitioning Sub-Projects and workstreams
Appoint Sub-Project and workstream leads, with approval from the Project’s Steering Committee representative and the OCP Foundation
Set the agenda for and chair the regular Project calls
Guide member companies that want to make an OCP Contribution
Keep the Project’s page on the OCP website current

It is a real commitment, and a rewarding one. Project Leads work directly with the OCP Steering Committee and the OCP Foundation staff, and help shape the direction of the OCP Community.

The 12 Projects open for nominations

Nominations are open for every top-level Project on the OCP Projects Overview:

Technology area	Projects
Facilities & Physical Infrastructure	Cooling Environments · Data Center Facility · Rack & Power
IT Infrastructure	Networking · Open Platform Firmware · Server · Storage · Time Appliances Project (TAP)
Systems Management	Hardware Management
Cross Domain	AI Computing Continuum · Security · Sustainability

Who should apply

The strongest candidates already know the Project they want to lead from the inside. Ideal candidates should:

Have direct experience participating in the OCP Project they want to lead.
Be ready to show up: Project Leads are expected to commit to tending to the daily needs of their respective Project: running calls, setting agendas, and providing feedback on WIP contributions.
Be a technical expert: OCP Project Leads should be experts in their respective fields, ready to drive highly technical discussions within the Project.

We especially encourage nominations that broaden the voices leading OCP.

How to submit your nomination

Nominations are made through the OCP Project Lead Nomination form. The form only takes about 15 minutes to complete and asks for:

Your/the candidate’s name, email and company
The OCP top-level Project you want to lead
A candidate statement of up to 250 words: who you are and why you want to lead this OCP Project
Up to 250 words on your OCP involvement, leadership and contributions, such as Projects and workstreams, specifications, contributions and Summit talks. OCP staff will vet this section.
Whether you plan to run with one or more co-leads

Running as a team? Co-leadership is welcome, and many OCP Projects benefit from it. List each co-lead’s name and company in the form. Every co-lead must also submit their own nomination separately, and co-leads must come from different member companies.

What happens next

Nominations close on November 18, 2026. After that:

Review: OCP Foundation staff confirm each candidate’s eligibility as well as the OCP involvement they provided with their nomination form.
Election: The election will begin on November 20, 2026, and run until December 20, 2026. Candidates are shared with that Project’s Community. Project Leads are elected by consensus of the respective Project Community.
- Voting eligibility is limited to individuals involved in the respective Project: subscribed to its mailing list, attending its calls or speaking at events, or involved in contributions.
Transition: new Project Leads begin their term in January 2027, working with outgoing leads and the OCP Foundation team on a smooth handoff.
Term: OCP top-level Project Leads serve a two-year term and will next be up for re-election in Q4 2028.

Questions about the role or the process? Reach out to the OCP Community team at [email protected].

The OCP Community is only as strong as the people who step up to lead it. If you have been thinking about taking the next step, this is your moment. Submit your interest or nominate a strong candidate from your Project to be selected as the next Project Lead here.