# Project Maintainer

The Project Maintainer is the backbone of a project’s success, balancing technical leadership with community engagement. They curate contributions, ensure code quality, and manage project direction. With an eye for detail and a commitment to the project’s vision, maintainers foster an inclusive and collaborative environment, enabling consistent growth and innovation.

Each project has a GitHub Team which contains its maintainers. It is named `@sonatype-nexus-community/[PROJECT]` - e.g. `@sonatype-nexus-community/the-cla`.

Project Maintainers are also [Code Owners](https://contribute.sonatype.com/docs/standards/repository-contents/#code-owners) for the respective project - thus the `CODEOWNERS` file for the project should include the above team.

## How to Become a Maintainer [Heading self-link](https://contribute.sonatype.com/docs/community_roles/maintainer/#how-to-become-a-maintainer)

Contributors who demonstrate consistent commitment to a project, offering meaningful improvements and actively engaging in discussions, may be considered for a maintainer role.

Becoming a maintainer requires building long-term trust with the Organizational Admins and the project’s existing maintainers. This trust is earned through high-quality contributions, design proposals, and a clear understanding of the project’s vision.

Maintainers not only contribute technically but also help guide the project’s direction by reviewing PRs, managing issues, and fostering collaboration within the community.

**Next level:** [Organization Admin](https://contribute.sonatype.com/docs/community_roles/maintainer/)