Cloud Engineer

At Serco, you will become part of an on-site ICT support team working at the European Space Agency's ESTEC site in Noordwijk, within the Navigation Directorate. This environment combines cutting-edge space programmes with highly structured operational and security frameworks, where reliable ICT services are essential to daily mission support. You will work alongside ESA engineers, ICT specialists, and service teams, supporting cloud-based platforms that host critical unclassified servers and applications. The role offers direct exposure to ESA's technical ecosystem and the opportunity to contribute to stable, secure, and high-performing infrastructure in an international and collaborative setting.

The Difference You Will Make

As a Cloud Engineer, you will play a key role in ensuring the availability, performance, and security of VMware-based cloud systems supporting ESA Navigation activities. Your work will directly impact how users access applications and services, helping teams operate efficiently and securely within ESA's strict security framework.

By maintaining robust cloud environments, responding effectively to incidents, and continuously improving system reliability, you will help ensure that ICT services remain dependable and compliant. Your contribution will support both day-to-day operations and the long-term continuity of ESA's navigation programmes.

What You'll Be Responsible For

In this role, you will be involved in the operation and maintenance of cloud systems running on VMware platforms, ensuring virtual machines and hosted applications remain available, secure, and performant. You will apply patches, upgrades, and configuration changes, while also contributing to automation activities using tools such as Ansible to improve efficiency and consistency. You will ensure that all systems comply with ESA Security Directives and internal ICT and security rules, implementing system hardening measures, managing access controls, and addressing vulnerabilities. Monitoring, logging, and auditing will form part of your daily activities, enabling early detection of anomalies and effective incident response.

You will also provide user support for cloud-hosted services, handle incidents and service requests, and contribute to service continuity through documentation, procedures, and operational reporting. Maintaining and enhancing monitoring dashboards will be part of your contribution to a stable and transparent service.

Do you have experience in VMware?, You bring solid experience in system and cloud administration, with a strong focus on VMware-based environments and Linux systems. You are comfortable working with automation and configuration management tools and have a good understanding of Windows Server administration. Familiarity with monitoring and logging solutions and cloud security principles allows you to work confidently in environments where security and compliance are essential.

You communicate clearly, take a proactive and structured approach to problem solving, and enjoy working both independently and as part of a team. With at least five years of relevant professional experience, you are confident supporting complex ICT services in a customer-facing environment. An ITIL Foundation certification is an advantage. You need to be EU national and eligible to obtain ESA Personal Security Clearance.

At Serco, we believe that a career should come with more than just a paycheck, it should provide support, security, and a sense of balance in your life. Your salary will be paid promptly on Fridays before the 28th of each month, giving you peace of mind about your finances. To recognize your dedication over the year, you'll also receive a Holiday Bonus, calculated as 8% of your basic gross salary, adding an extra boost when you need it most.

We support your daily life and commute in practical ways. If you travel to work, you can claim a travel allowance of €0.21 per kilometre for up to 150 km, or you can have your public transport fully reimbursed. For those working from home, there's a small daily allowance of €2 to cover extra costs, and new employees can be reimbursed up to €500 for a desk or chair to make their home workspace comfortable. When your work takes you on missions or travel, all business-related expenses are fully covered, and for peace of mind during tax season, our appointed advisor will assist you in completing your income tax forms. If you enjoy cycling, our bicycle scheme allows you to benefit from a tax-efficient allowance of up to €749, one year of full insurance with an additional €89 per year for accessories. Serco also cares about your long-term security. All employees are covered under a collective life insurance scheme, and our health insurance partnership with Zilverenkruis Achmea offers discounts of 5% on basic coverage and up to 10% on additional plans. Our company pension scheme, managed via Nationale Nederlanden, follows the Dutch State Pension framework, ensuring you can plan confidently for the future.

In addition, in emergency situations, you may request an advance salary payment of up to one month's net salary at the discretion of your line manager. To support your wellbeing and daily work, we offer up to €250 reimbursement for work glasses to reduce blue light strain and provide access to Benefits & Work, offering multiple discounts for online shopping. For lifelong learning, all employees receive a 35% discount on programs at Webster University. At Serco, our benefits are designed to make your life easier, healthier, and more flexible, so you can focus on contributing to groundbreaking space missions while feeling supported every step of the way.

For more than half a century, Serco has walked alongside the pioneers of space. Serco has supported over 50 ESA missions where our teams have helped launch satellites, guide spacecraft across the void and turn data into discoveries that reshape our world. With thousands of specialists contributing across the entire space lifecycle, from engineering support and satellite testing to launch services, LEOP, operations and surveillance, we have become a trusted force in national and European space strategies. And now, the next chapter could include you. On behalf of our team in the Netherlands, we are looking for a Cloud Engineer to support the European Space Agency at ESTEC.