Senior Middleware & On-Premises Operations Engineer

Location: Brussels, Belgium / Nearshore Europe
Employment type: Full-Time

We are currently looking for experienced Senior Middleware & On-Premises Operations Engineers to strengthen the Cronos Europa team and contribute to long-term IT operations projects for one of our international clients.

We are considering both onshore candidates based in Belgium and nearshore professionals based in Europe.

This is a senior-level opportunity for engineers who enjoy maintaining reliable, secure enterprise IT platforms, troubleshooting complex infrastructure issues and improving production environments through automation and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities:

• Install, configure, maintain and upgrade middleware platforms and commercial enterprise applications.
• Provide second- and third-line technical support, resolving incidents, service requests and complex production issues.
• Investigate recurring technical problems, perform root-cause analysis and implement effective solutions.
• Manage web and application servers, including Apache HTTP Server and Apache Tomcat.
• Administer and troubleshoot middleware running on Linux and Windows Server environments.
• Automate installations, configuration management, deployments and routine operations using Ansible and scripting.
• Contribute to CI/CD processes using Azure DevOps, Jenkins, Nexus or equivalent tools.
• Monitor infrastructure performance, availability and security, proactively identifying and resolving issues.
• Support containerised applications and platforms using Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift or equivalent technologies.
• Collaborate with database teams on Oracle-related operational tasks, SQL troubleshooting and performance optimisation.
• Work closely with networking, infrastructure, security, development and database teams.
• Maintain technical documentation, operational procedures, troubleshooting guides and runbooks.

Technical skills:

• Middleware: Strong experience administering web and application servers, particularly Apache HTTP Server and Tomcat.
• Operating Systems: Advanced Linux administration skills, preferably Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and solid Windows Server experience.
• Automation: Experience with Ansible or equivalent configuration management tools, supported by Bash and PowerShell scripting.
• CI/CD: Experience with Azure DevOps, Jenkins, Nexus or comparable build and deployment technologies.
• Containers: Hands-on experience with Docker, Podman, Kubernetes or OpenShift.
• Networking: Good understanding of DNS, TLS/SSL, reverse proxies, firewalls and load balancing.
• Monitoring: Experience monitoring application and infrastructure performance, availability and reliability.
• IT Service Management: Experience with ServiceNow or equivalent ITSM tools, incident management and production support.
• Databases: Oracle Database administration, SQL, backup procedures, patching and performance troubleshooting are strong advantages.
• Cloud: Experience with Microsoft Azure and infrastructure as code, such as Terraform, is an advantage.
• Additional technologies: Experience with ESRI ArcGIS Enterprise, SAS, Oracle Data Integrator, Microsoft On-Premises Data Gateway or Grafana is a plus.

Profile:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Systems Engineering or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience supporting and administering middleware or commercial enterprise products in production environments.
• Proven hands-on experience installing, configuring, upgrading and troubleshooting middleware and application servers.
• Strong understanding of Linux, Windows Server, networking and enterprise infrastructure environments.
• Experience providing second- and third-line technical support for business-critical production systems.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within an international technical team.
• Strong analytical thinking, troubleshooting skills and attention to operational reliability and security.
• Experience improving operational processes through automation and technical documentation.
• Fluent English, both written and spoken, is mandatory.
• French is an advantage but not required.
• Proactive attitude, ownership and willingness to learn and support unfamiliar technologies.
• ITIL Foundation certification is an advantage.

Working arrangements:

We are recruiting for both onshore and nearshore collaboration models.

Onshore – Belgium

• Candidates must be based in Belgium and have valid authorisation to work in the country.
• Hybrid working arrangement, requiring approximately 50% on-site presence in Brussels.

Nearshore – Europe

• Candidates must be based in Europe.
• Primarily remote working arrangement.
• Approximately 30 working days per year on-site in Brussels.
• Flexibility in scheduling on-site visits, subject to project requirements.

Please note that the applicable on-site requirements are mandatory.

Why Cronos Group?

We'll offer you:

• An attractive and competitive compensation package, aligned with your experience and contract arrangement.
• The opportunity to contribute to long-term projects in an international environment.
• A flexible working arrangement combining remote collaboration with meaningful on-site interaction.
• Exposure to complex enterprise IT environments, middleware technologies and infrastructure automation.
• Opportunities for continuous professional development and technical growth.
• A collaborative, supportive working environment that values expertise, initiative and ownership.
• The opportunity to develop your career within the Cronos Group, one of Belgium's leading technology ecosystems.

If you're passionate about IT operations, enjoy troubleshooting complex infrastructure environments and want to contribute to reliable, secure, long-term enterprise platforms, we'd be happy to hear from you!

Join Cronos Europa and take the next step in your career.