Solution Engineer

Are you passionate about ICT innovation and its role in Dutch research? Do you understand the needs and data challenges of researchers and research institutions, and do you see how upcoming technologies can be implemented to tackle them? Does the idea of applying your knowledge of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to tackle challenges in data and data management excite you? Does developing and testing applications give you energy? Then we would love to talk to you!

Where you will work

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.

The team you will join

You will work in the Future Technologies & Applications Team, focusing on applications and technology in the field of research and education, where we experiment, explore and investigate innovative ideas. Together with the team, we strive to continuously renew our knowledge in a wide range of areas, so that our expertise and services continue to facilitate word-class Dutch research.

What you will do

As a Solution Engineer, you focus on applying the latest AI developments to support researchers with data and data management challenges, and explore how these challenges can drive further AI innovation. You design and implement IT solutions and prototypes on SURF’s infrastructures, such as Cloud and HPC systems.

You work closely with SURF colleagues, researchers and research communities at Dutch universities and knowledge institutions, particularly at the intersection of data and AI. You enjoy solving technical challenges, improving existing solutions and applications, and turning new ideas into working prototypes using your hands-on experience with a range of programming models and frameworks

Your skills and experience

You are a proactive and independent professional with strong technical insight and a pragmatic mindset. You are energised by educational and research innovation and enjoy designing, prototyping and implementing solutions that make a real impact. You adapt quickly to new technologies and changing requirements, while keeping a strong focus on practical outcomes.

You communicate technical concepts clearly to both researchers and non-technical stakeholders and collaborate effectively in multidisciplinary teams. You take initiative, work independently when needed, and actively contribute to solving complex challenges.

You bring:

• An HBO or University degree (MSc/PhD) with hands-on experience in designing, prototyping and implementing AI solutions on research infrastructures.
• Knowledge about storage technologies and data management technologies is a (big) plus
• Practical experience with AI and Machine Learning frameworks (e.g. PyTorch) and LLM deployment tools (e.g. vLLM) in GPU accelerated environments, including model fine-tuning, evaluation and prompt engineering.
• Experience deploying or interacting programmatically with AI models across HPC and cloud environments.
• Solid software development skills, including Git, and an understanding of privacy and security by design
• You have an excellent command of the English language and at least basic knowledge of Dutch.

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

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