DBA / platform engineer

Want to make your mark on our time? Become a DBA / platform engineer at TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands (TNO-GDN) in Utrecht!

About this position

Work on the databases behind the subsurface data of the Netherlands.

At TNO in Utrecht, you will ensure that databases containing crucial data, models and applications remain available, secure, scalable and future-proof.

You will work for the Geological Survey of the Netherlands (GDN), part of TNO. GDN supports societal challenges related to groundwater, soil quality, energy storage and the Dutch subsurface. Reliable data is the foundation for this work.

As a DBA, you will play a key role in managing, securing and optimising our database landscape. This mainly consists of EDB Postgres, complemented by Oracle databases for specific applications.

This role goes beyond traditional database administration. In addition to DBA activities, you will contribute to monitoring, automation, lifecycle management and other improvement initiatives within the Platform Team and beyond.

You will join an organisation that is continuously developing. That is why we are looking for someone who brings structure, takes initiative and enjoys helping us further professionalise our services.

What will be your role?

In this role, you will be responsible for the management, continuity and further professionalisation of the database landscape. Your work will include:

• managing, maintaining and optimising EDB Postgres and Oracle databases;
• carrying out upgrades, migrations, patches and lifecycle management;
• designing and managing backup, recovery and high-availability solutions;
• monitoring database availability, performance and capacity;
• analysing and resolving performance issues and bottlenecks.

You will also work closely with development teams and platform specialists. You will support them with database-related questions and contribute to broader improvement initiatives, such as:

• managing database security, access and authorisations;
• developing and improving monitoring, observability and dashboards;
• contributing to automation using Puppet, Ansible and other tools;
• handling incidents, changes and service requests through Jira and Jira Service Management;
• participating in projects related to databases, cloud platforms and infrastructure renewal.

Your team

You will work in the Platform Team within Geo IT: a relatively small team of around 15 people with a broad set of responsibilities.

The team consists of specialists in databases, storage, networking, Kubernetes, security, architecture and platform management. The team members are helpful and communication lines are short, making it easy to align quickly, share knowledge and work together on technical challenges.

Because the team has broad responsibilities, colleagues regularly work beyond their primary area of expertise. We are therefore looking for someone who enjoys collaboration and is interested in broader platform topics.

Way of working

Within the team, you work in a pragmatic and structured way. Collaboration is based on short communication lines, clear alignment and room for personal initiative. We use:

• a Kanban way of working;
• a daily stand-up for alignment;
• Jira and Jira Service Management for operational work and project activities;
• Confluence and GitHub Enterprise for documentation and knowledge sharing;
• close collaboration with DevOps teams, architects and other platform specialists.

Projects are carried out pragmatically and efficiently, with plenty of room to contribute ideas and take ownership of improvements.

Why this role?

In this role, you combine technical depth with societal relevance. You will work on systems that contribute to reliable subsurface data for the Netherlands, while also having the space to take ownership and drive improvements. This role is interesting because:

• you work on systems with direct societal impact;
• you contribute to reliable subsurface data for the Netherlands;
• you work with complex EDB Postgres and Oracle environments;
• you combine database administration with automation, observability and platform improvements;
• you have plenty of room to further improve standards, processes and services;
• you become part of a small, knowledgeable and helpful team;
• you get a high level of ownership and autonomy.

What we expect from you

• Bachelor’s level of working and thinking, with experience as a DBA or Database Engineer;
• Experience with PostgreSQL, preferably with EnterpriseDB tooling such as EFM, PEM and Barman;
• Experience with Oracle databases;
• Experience with database upgrades, migrations, backup, recovery and high-availability solutions;
• Knowledge of Linux administration, preferably Red Hat Enterprise Linux;
• Experience with performance tuning, troubleshooting and resolving database-related bottlenecks;
• You work independently as well as in a team, bring structure and take initiative;
• Good command of the English language. Dutch is preferred; for a permanent employment contract, Dutch language courses are offered.

Nice to have

• Experience with automation using Puppet and/or Ansible;
• Familiarity with DevOps principles such as CI/CD, GitOps, Scrum and Kanban;
• Experience with monitoring and observability solutions such as Grafana, Prometheus and Splunk;
• Experience with Azure, OpenShift or Kubernetes;
• Familiarity with Confluence, Jira, Jira Service Management and GitHub Enterprise;
• Knowledge of Oracle Label Security and Virtual Private Database (VPD).

What you'll get in return

Challenging and varied work with a real impact. And plenty of opportunities as, at TNO, you are in charge of shaping your career. We offer a gross monthly salary between € 4.100 and € 5.900 (based on your knowledge and experience), 8% holiday pay, a 13th month bonus of 8.33% and a flex budget (5.58% + € 180). In addition, you will be given every opportunity to develop yourself.

TNO offers optional employee benefits, enabling you to tailor your benefits package to match your personal situation. You may also expect:

• An extremely professional, innovative working environment where colleagues are leading experts in their field.
• The opportunity to attend courses, workshops and conferences, and to receive training and coaching based on your needs.
• 33 days annual leave plus a flexible holiday that can be used on a cultural, religious, or otherwise important day of your choosing (on a full-time basis).
• We offer a comprehensive and flexible mobility plan that also includes full compensation for public transportation for commuting and business travel.
• Great social events with your team and other TNO colleagues. That’s how you will get to know a lot of people really quickly.
• Flexible working hours, the possibility to work parttime (32 or 36 hours) and the possibility of working from home.
• A good pension scheme.

TNO as an employer

Our people are at the heart of TNO. Their curiosity, expertise and entrepreneurial mindset make it possible to deliver high-impact research and innovations that contribute to society’s sustainable wellbeing and prosperity.

Your talent and ambition have every opportunity to flourish at TNO. You work with experts (both within and beyond TNO), have access to advanced technology and the freedom to explore, experiment and innovate. Our strength lies in independence, reliability and collaboration.