VN 25/73 Data Services and Archive Operations Engineer

Within the User Support and Climate Services Division of the EUMETSAT Operations and Services to Users Department, a dedicated team of experienced operations engineers, archive operators and user support experts, coordinates and operates the EUMETSAT online data access services and the EUMETSAT Data Archive. These services provide the performant discovery, search and pull access for EUMETSAT’s satellite data and products as well as their permanent and secure storage (Long-Term Data Preservation).

With more satellite missions under development and an exponential increase of data volumes ahead, EUMETSAT is evolving a “data-centric” approach using cloud-based data technologies and solutions for providing Earth observation Data as a Service (DaaS).

Reporting to the Data Services and Archive Operations Team Leader, the successful candidate will contribute to the routine operations, enhancement, and evolution of the Data Services and Archive systems supporting all past, current, and future EUMETSAT missions.

Duties

• Support the day-to-day operations of the Data Services and Archive by monitoring systems, coordinating with technical teams, improving efficiency through automation, maintaining operational documentation, planning software updates, resolving issues, and ensuring overall service performance meets operations services specifications.
• Contribute to the evolution of the Data Services and Archive by supporting user requirements specification, format customisations, design reviews and preparation of the test plan.
• Operations preparation of new systems and software releases by coordinating and conducting testing, ensuring up-to-date operational and user documentation, updating and developing monitoring tools, and supporting related user communications.
  • Monitor, analyse, and categorise user enquiries on the Data Services and Archive received via the User Service Helpdesk, and report on issues, complaints, and enhancement requests in accordance with established management and quality procedures.
  • Define, coordinate, and maintain key performance indicators for the Data Services and Archive to support effective monitoring, management, and corporate reporting, including systems metrics to support the justification of proposed enhancements.
  • Support the coordination and performance of service contracts with their Service Level Managers to ensure compliance with agreed service level targets.

    LOCATION Darmstadt, Germany

    QUALIFICATIONS

    A university degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or another relevant discipline.

    LANGUAGES Candidates must be able to work effectively in English and have some knowledge of French.

    DEADLINE

    30 January 2026

    Duties

    • Support the day-to-day operations of the Data Services and Archive by monitoring systems, coordinating with technical teams, improving efficiency through automation, maintaining operational documentation, planning software updates, resolving issues, and ensuring overall service performance meets operations services specifications.
    • Contribute to the evolution of the Data Services and Archive by supporting user requirements specification, format customisations, design reviews and preparation of the test plan.
    • Operations preparation of new systems and software releases by coordinating and conducting testing, ensuring up-to-date operational and user documentation, updating and developing monitoring tools, and supporting related user communications.
      • Monitor, analyse, and categorise user enquiries on the Data Services and Archive received via the User Service Helpdesk, and report on issues, complaints, and enhancement requests in accordance with established management and quality procedures.
      • Define, coordinate, and maintain key performance indicators for the Data Services and Archive to support effective monitoring, management, and corporate reporting, including systems metrics to support the justification of proposed enhancements.
      • Support the coordination and performance of service contracts with their Service Level Managers to ensure compliance with agreed service level targets.

        Skills and Experience

        • Proven experience in a highly operational environment, preferably involving Earth observation, meteorological or environmental data, with knowledge of archive systems and experience in supervising or coordinating tasks.
        • Proven experience across the full software development lifecycle, including use of web technologies, APIs, and programming languages such as Python, C/C++ or Java. Experience in working a Unix/Linux environment, code repositories, and testing tools (e.g. GitLab, CI pipelines, Playwright, JMeter) is also required.
        • Experience with scientific or geospatial data formats, metadata standards, and related tools would be an advantage.
        • Practical experience with cloud and metrics gathering tools such as Kubernetes, Docker, and Panda would be an advantage.
        • Strong analytical, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to synthesise technical information for reporting to management and strong soft skills to work effectively within and across teams.

          Employment Conditions

          The initial contract will be of 4 years’ duration, with subsequent 5 year contracts being awarded thereafter, subject to individual performance and organisation requirements. There is no limit to the amount of follow-up contracts a staff member can receive up to the EUMETSAT retirement age of 63 and there are certainly opportunities to establish a long career perspective at EUMETSAT.
          This post is graded A2/A4 on the EUMETSAT salary scales. The minimum basic salary for this post is EURO7,340 per month (net of internal tax but excluding pension contribution and insurances) which may be negotiable on the basis of skills and experience. The salary scale provides for increments on the anniversary of taking up employment, and scales are reviewed by the EUMETSAT Council with effect from 1 January each year. In addition to basic salary, EUMETSAT offers attractive benefits. Further information, including salary details, is available on the EUMETSAT web site.
          
          EUMETSAT is committed to providing an equal opportunities work environment for men and women.
          Please note that only nationals of EUMETSAT Member States may apply. The EUMETSAT Convention requires that Staff shall be recruited on the basis of their qualifications, account being taken of the international character of EUMETSAT.

          About EUMETSAT EUMETSAT is Europe’s meteorological satellite agency. Its role is to establish and operate meteorological satellites to monitor the weather and climate from space - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This information is supplied to the National Meteorological Services of the organisation's Member States in Europe, as well as other users worldwide.
          
          EUMETSAT also operates several Copernicus missions on behalf of the European Union and provide data services to the Copernicus marine and atmospheric services and their users.
          
          As an intergovernmental European Organisation, EUMETSAT has 30 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.)