Data Engineer Science

Would you like to help build the data infrastructure that supports research of national importance? As a Data Engineer at SURF, you’ll ensure that research data is reliable, scalable, and accessible. You’ll help develop a national data platform for research information: open source, based on open data, and built on our own cloud infrastructure. In this role, you’ll make informed technological decisions and have a direct impact on the shape of the Netherlands’ research infrastructure.

SURF is the ICT cooperative for Dutch educational and research institutions. Together with them, we work on digital services and complex innovation challenges to enhance the quality of education and research. You will be working in the Open Education and Research unit, which consists of 10 different types of teams, all of which are involved in the development of digital sector services for institutions.

You will be part of the Open Science and Skills team within the Accessible and Open Education and Research (AOER) unit. The team works on the innovations needed to make Open Science a reality. You will spend most of your time on the Broccoli project: a collaboration between SURF and Leiden University, among others.

We are looking for an independent data engineer who thrives in an academic environment, where dataset standards can sometimes be abstract, stakeholders are accustomed to theoretical thinking, and you serve as the bridge between that world and robust, production-ready technical solutions.

At SURF, we are building a data platform for all information related to research in the Netherlands. This information is used by policymakers, administrators, researchers, and anyone who wants to gain insight into how research is conducted, what impact it has, and where opportunities lie. We are committed to maximum openness and accessibility: open data, open-source software, and our own cloud infrastructure.

This requires deliberate technological choices. You play a crucial role in realizing that ambition.

• You bridge the gap between data engineering and infrastructure management
• You work closely with data analysts and data scientists to ensure quality and enrich data
• You build reproducible, scalable, and reliable data pipelines (ETL/ELT) using CI/CD, IaC, and containerization
• You ensure the efficient deployment, monitoring, and maintenance of the data infrastructure
• You combine software engineering best practices with an eye for detail in data management
• You initiate cross‑SURF collaboration with education (universities/HBO/MBO) and research

You are a data engineer with a solid technical foundation and a keen eye for quality, scalability, and reliability. Dev Ops and software engineering best practices come naturally to you and form the foundation of how you work. You actively follow technological developments, explore new possibilities both within and outside the network, and know how to translate these into practical solutions.

In addition, you enjoy sharing your knowledge with colleagues and contribute to the team’s further development.

• You have a university‑level education and several years of relevant work experience
• You work comfortably in a multidisciplinary team and are skilled in stakeholder communication
• You have experience working in an agile environment
• You have extensive experience with Python, SQL, and relevant libraries in the data ecosystem
• You have a solid understanding of ETL/ELT pipelines, orchestration technologies, and database systems
• You naturally use version control, testing, CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, and monitoring
• You are fluent in English;
  Dutch is a plus

• 36 holidays per year (based on a 40‑hour working week)
• NS Business Card 1st class
• Home‑working allowance

Location:

Moreelsepark 48, 3511 EP Utrecht, Netherlands Degree:
Master of Science (MSc) Employment: 3 years Salary: €5 450 – €7 786 per month Hours per week: 32 – 36 Contact:
Elspeth Lorimer, elspeth.lorimer Questions about procedure: recruitment,