OPERAS is the Research Infrastructure supporting open scholarly communication in the social sciences and humanities (SSH) in the European Research Area. Its mission is to coordinate and federate resources in Europe to efficiently address the scholarly communication needs of European researchers in the field of SSH.
OPERAS’ aim is to make Open Science a reality for research in the SSH and achieve a scholarly communication system where knowledge produced in the SSH benefits researchers, academics, students and more generally the whole society across Europe and worldwide, without barriers.
OPERAS is an international not-for-profit association (AISBL), established in 2020 under Belgian law.
In the context of a multi-stakeholder cooperation, OPERAS is also currently managing the development of the pan-European distributed “Diamond Capacity Hub” (EDCH), to support Diamond OA publishing across all disciplines.
Job Summary
We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated professional to lead and coordinate the technical aspects of our distributed systems. As the Federated Infrastructure Manager, you will oversee the design and implementation of Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure (AAI) systems, ensuring their integration with internal and external platforms (i.e. EDCH). You will support data interoperability frameworks, data standards, across distributed components and partners. In addition to coordinating system administration tasks—such as the installation, configuration, and maintenance of critical tools and services—you will also support technical service management processes aligned with ISO 9000, ISO/IEC 27000 and FitSM standards, including developing comprehensive documentation. This role involves leadership in coordinating teams, fostering innovation and ensuring operational excellence. You will also engage with the broader research community such as with other SSH infrastructures, the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) and participate in European Commission-funded projects in which OPERAS is a beneficiary (i.e. ATRIUM and GRAPHIA).
Key Responsibilities:
● AAI Management:
- Coordinate the design and implementation of Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure (AAI) systems.
- Ensure seamless integration of AAI with various internal and external systems.
● Interoperability Framework:
- Oversee the development, maintenance and operation of Drupal websites for the EDCH.
- Set up and manage the interoperability framework between distributed components and partners.
- Support data interoperability through use of standards.
- Evaluate OPERAS service interoperability with other SSH research infrastructures.
- Community integration and evaluation with the EOSC.
● System Administration:
- Coordinate the installation, configuration and maintenance of internal and external tools and services, including those required by fiscally hosted programmes.
- Ensure high availability and reliability of systems through effective monitoring and maintenance.
- Provide technical support and troubleshooting.
● IT Service Management:
- Support the definition, implementation and execution of IT service management processes ensuring compliance with relevant standards.
- Develop and maintain technical documentation of the services.
● Management and Leadership:
- Coordinate teams of system administrators and IT support staff.
- Foster a collaborative and innovative environment.
- Stay updated on the latest technologies and best practices, particularly in system administration and AAI.
- Prepare and present project reports to senior management.
Relationships
● Weekly with the Executive Committee (related to activities around the EDCH)
● Weekly with the Chief Technology Officer (related to activities around OPERAS services) and regularly with the OPERAS Services Task Force
● With the OPERAS Coordination Team (OCT) of the OPERAS AISBL
● With the OPERAS Secretary General
Job Requirements
● Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
● Minimum of 5 years of experience in system administration and AAI management.
● Strong knowledge of AAI protocols i.e. SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect.
● Knowledge of IT Service and Information Security Management standards or best practices i.e. FitSM, ITIL, ISO/IEC 27000
● Proficiency in tools such as GitHub, GitLab, Atlassian Confluence, and similar platforms for collaboration and version control.
● Knowledge of the International Data Space framework.
● Proficiency in managing cloud infrastructure platforms.
● Experience with network administration and information security best practices.
● Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
● Excellent people skills, with experience managing or coordinating multi-disciplinary, international and distributed teams.
● C1 level of English with strong communication skills.
Additional Qualifications
● Certifications in relevant areas.
● Knowledge of DevOps, Agile, etc. practices and tools.
Offer
● The position is offered for a temporary contract of an initial period of 18 months that can be potentially extended based on performances and available funding. This is a full-time position preferably based either in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, or Portugal.
● Remote working opportunities can be considered.
● Salary depends upon the experience of the successful candidate. Full package may vary depending on the country of living if working from a different country than Belgium..
Equal opportunities
OPERAS AISBL is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age or veteran status.
Process and timescale
This is an open process. Qualified applicants, with the right experience, will be interviewed as their application comes in, on a first come – first served basis. The search will stop as soon as we find the right fit and the successful applicant is expected to start as soon as possible.
Information to apply
Please send a cover letter and your CV to 202501-fim@operas-eu.org. An assessment may be part of the selection process. Only direct applications from candidates are considered. OPERAS AISBL does not appreciate any acquisition by third parties regarding this position. For additional information about this position, you may contact OPERAS’ Secretary General at yannick.legre@operas-eu.org