Job Specifications
Application Manager (Freelance) - 6 Months - Brussels
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About the Role
Our client is seeking a Senior Application Manager (Freelance) to drive the evolution of Open Science services within a leading research and education ecosystem. This is a 6-month, full-time freelance opportunity based in Brussels (hybrid). You’ll be at the heart of a mission to empower researchers and institutions with secure, federated, and future-ready digital tools—making Open Science accessible, collaborative, and impactful at a national scale.
Why This Role Matters
Open Science is transforming how research is shared, validated, and reused. As Application Manager, you’ll be the product owner for a suite of critical applications that underpin this transformation—ensuring seamless identity and access management, robust integrations, and a secure, user-centric experience. Your work will directly enable researchers and institutions to collaborate, innovate, and advance science in line with FAIR data principles.
Key Responsibilities
Serve as product owner for all Open Science–related applications (e.g., DMPOnline, PID services, ORFEO), with a strong focus on identity and access management (IAM).
Act as superuser and primary functional administrator, ensuring robust IAM integrations (federated login, authorization flows, role management) and delivering end-to-end customer support.
Contribute to the Managed Services team’s daily activities, supporting applications beyond your primary scope and applying IAM best practices across all services.
Lead the full lifecycle of new services: feasibility studies, development, procurement, IAM integration design, pilot implementation, operational maintenance, and customer support.
Coordinate internal and external activities related to authentication, federation, and access control with suppliers and stakeholders (Services & Security, Customer Service, Communications, Legal, Accounting, etc.).
Collaborate with Business Units to capture customer requirements, especially around identity, access, and integration needs. Maintain a structured backlog and ensure clear communication with all stakeholders.
Work closely with Services & Security colleagues to guarantee high-quality service delivery, with a focus on security, continuity, access governance, and federation health.
Advocate for IAM-aligned best practices and promote managed Open Science services internally and, when needed, to customers through presentations and workshops.
Guide and assist customers in configuring their local Microsoft identity infrastructure (Active Directory, Entra ID/Azure AD) to connect to and consume federation services, including protocol setup, attribute validation, and troubleshooting authentication flows.
Stay up to date with ICT developments, especially around federated identity, OAuth/OIDC, access management, and security trends.
Technical Skills & Experience
3–6 years’ experience as a System Engineer, Application Owner, or similar role in IAM-intensive environments
Expertise in Identity and Access Management (IAM), including federated solutions (OAuth2, OpenID Connect, Shibboleth, SimpleSamlphp)
Strong experience with Linux systems (Ubuntu/RedHat), including security hardening, log analysis, and scripting (bash, Perl, Python)
Solid knowledge of Microsoft identity environments (Active Directory, Entra ID/Azure AD)
Experience with cloud environments (preferably open cloud)
Basic programming skills in Java, PHP, or Python
Understanding of modern development practices (CI/CD, DevOps)
Basic networking knowledge (TCP/IP, web access firewalls, routing, network security)
Strong interest in open-source technologies and Open Science ecosystems
Language Proficiency
Active knowledge of Dutch or French
Good command of English and the other Belgian national language
Other Requirements & Assets
University degree or IT bachelor
Strong customer orientation; able to lead meetings and workshops, and translate technical IAM concepts into accessible language
Ability to translate customer requirements into actionable improvements
Previous experience with Open Science platforms and tools (DMPOnline, publication/data repositories, research data management systems) is a plus
Experience with automation tools (Ansible, Puppet) is an asset
Basic understanding of project management and ITIL processes
Proactive, organized, and a strong team player
Strong problem-management skills
Affinity with education, research, or public-sector environments is a plus
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About the Company
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