DevOps Engineer DANS

What will you be doing?

As part of our ICT Support Team, you will ensure smooth operations between platform service providers, operational systems, and our developers. Independence is key: you will take responsibility for deployments, operational testing, and the overall availability and usability of DANS data services and APIs. Your tasks will include implementation in the production environment, including integration and security testing. You will manage operational readiness and system availability, thoroughly documenting all processes and interdependencies.

You will develop and implement a verifiable and testable backup and failover plan for DANS. In close collaboration with the Development Team, R&D Engineers, and ICT Support, you will manage the architecture and platforms. You will maintain a Platform Architecture Roadmap for DANS and contribute to specifications and standards, including container deployment and potentially future ‘serverless’ solutions. You will evaluate, implement, and mitigate security issues, ensuring the proper use and specifications of encrypted storage for data deposited at DANS. In addition, you will handle daily maintenance and support.

What will you bring to the table?

We are looking for an enthusiastic professional with a completed higher professional or academic education in a relevant IT field, or equivalent proven knowledge and experience. You are well-versed in:

• Linux (RHEL/Ubuntu)
• Ansible
• Docker
• Terraform/OpenTofu
• Kubernetes
• BASH
• Python

You have experience as a DevOps Engineer, and familiarity with hardware, storage, network security, Cloud technologies, and Zabbix will be considered an advantage. You are customer-oriented and highly skilled in communication, capable of translating client requirements into effective ICT solutions. You also bring demonstrable experience with production systems. Fluency in both Dutch and English, spoken and written, is required. You combine a solution- and results-oriented mindset with the ability to work independently, while also thriving in collaborative, academic team environments.

Terms of employment
Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is € 3.546,-- to a maximum of € 5.538,-- gross per month for a fulltime employment (=38 hours per week, scale 10, cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with fulltime employment).

For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: werken bij de KNAW.


Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct is part of the employment procedure.