Procurement lawyer

Do you enjoy working with others? Do you consider it essential that procurement activities are conducted lawfully, transparently, and effectively? And would you like to contribute to an organisation that serves the public interest? At SURF, you will contribute to the digitisation and improvement of education and research in the Netherlands. In this way, you will make a difference at the national level. Would you like to know more? Keep reading!

Where you will work

SURF is the ICT cooperative of Dutch educational and research institutions. Together with them, we work on digital services and complex innovation issues. The aim is to improve the quality of education and research. SURF is a contracting authority that is required to conduct European tenders for its own activities and services.

SURF's own tenders are not only about business operations, but also about building blocks for our services. Examples include data centre locations, application and system management, and the new Dutch supercomputer. In addition, SURF helps its members to bundle demand and jointly influence the market. This includes tenders with Microsoft, Google and other large tech companies, but also the joint procurement of hardware, service management software and virtualisation products.

The team you will join

From 1 January 2026, all SURF lawyers will form a single central team in the business operations department. You will be part of that team. Team Legal will then consist of eight lawyers with different areas of expertise, one broadly oriented legal officer and one team leader. Your focus will be on large European tenders and how to develop a suitable strategy within the complex environment of SURF.

SURF is all about self-reliance and independence. Basically, this means we offer templates and set processes that let colleagues work on their own. As a procurement lawyer, you'll take on this role for the legal side of the procurement process and work closely with the buyers in the Procurement & Delivery department.

Those who work at SURF work for a unique and open organisation. This is evident in everything: the structure of the organisation, the composition of the project teams, the culture in our offices and the atmosphere among colleagues. SURF offers excellent terms of employment and is flexible when it comes to work/life balance. Employees enjoy working independently. In addition, everyone is given the space and freedom to use and develop their talents as effectively and broadly as possible.

What you will do

As a procurement lawyer, you will be involved in SURF's major procurement processes. Together with fellow procurement lawyers, you will determine who supports which process. You will advise on the procurement procedure to be followed and on how to guarantee the quality of tender documents. During a procurement process, you will also be involved in its implementation. Examples include: verifying procurement documents, ensuring the correct contract documents are in place, and assisting in responding to questions from the market and evaluating tenders.

What does the job entail?
The topics in your job are varied. One moment you are diving into the world of data storage services, the next into that of the national supercomputer. Many of our tenders relate to innovative IT services that we provide to our customers or that are for our business operations. Another time, you may be working on a tender for a financial system or the hiring of temporary staff.

Collaboration is at the heart of this role. You will work with the purchaser who supervises the procurement process, the contract manager who takes over management after the contract is concluded, and the operational departments that need the final purchase to carry out their work. In addition, you will work with colleagues from the team who have other areas of expertise and with SURF management, who are responsible for complying with legal obligations in the field of procurement law.

Other tasks you will handle

• You provide the legal perspective in large European tenders;
• You seek creative solutions for SURF's procurement needs, such as public-public partnerships, innovation-oriented procurement or the use of a DAS, where appropriate in the context;
• You contribute to standardised legal and procurement processes for the whole of SURF;
• Together with the purchasers, you analyse which procedure is most suitable: a public procedure, DAS, one-on-one awarding, or, through public-public partnerships, no tendering at all;

Your skills and experience

• You have a degree in Dutch law (required), and additional training in procurement law (e.g. Grotius) is an advantage;
• You have several years of work experience with (European) procurement;
• You have a strong affinity with the type of IT activities carried out by SURF;
• You are sensitive to the organisation and environment and can adapt your advisory style to the context;
• You have a good command of Dutch and English; this is necessary because SURF is bilingual.

Prior to starting this job, a VOG must be presented.

SURF takes pleasure in doing its recruitment itself; acquisition is therefore not appreciated.