Information Technology

Specialist - Data Storage & Infrastructure Operations - European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (AD6, The Hague)

GradeAD6
Contract TypeTemporary Agent
Salary Range€6,961 - €7,876/month
Deadline7 October 2026

About this position

The summary below is published by European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation on the official vacancy notice. Our own analysis — salary realism, comparable openings, career trajectory, language profile — follows further down the page.

This vacancy is being advertised simultaneously internally and externally. Please note that if the post is filled internally, no appointment will be made from the external publication. Instead, the external selection process may be used to establish a reserve list of qualified candidates who may be considered for the same or similar opportunities in the future.

1. Organisational context

Organisational setting:

The post of Specialist – Data Storage & Infrastructure Operations is located in the Infrastructure Services Team, ICT Operations Unit, ICT Department, Capabilities Directorate.

The C1 ICT Department has the responsibility for devising, delivering and operating critical technology capabilities and solutions supporting the core mission and support processes of Europol. Over 150 internal staff members and a significant number of domain-specific consultants are responsible for devising, developing, delivering and operating information management and communication technology capabilities that ensure enhanced criminal information analysis and exchange among Europol, Member States and third parties.

The ICT Operations Unit is responsible for the operations and management of…

Excerpt shown; read the full notice on the official page. The structured breakdown below covers the key facts.

Key responsibilities

According to the vacancy notice, the role centres on the following duties:

  • Installation and configuration of ICT infrastructure in testing, pre-production and production environments
  • Contribute to technical design of ICT infrastructure solutions in accordance with solution architecture guidelines
  • Review Architecture and Engineering guidelines for manageability and technical consequences
  • Review and implement technical requirements for ICT infrastructure solutions including security controls
  • Develop and maintain knowledge of interdependencies of infrastructure components in production environment
  • Perform second and third level support with technical analysis, investigation, troubleshooting and resolution of incidents
  • Provide support to capacity management activities and recommend infrastructure changes
  • Provide technical advice and engineering support to other teams

Are you eligible?

Check these requirements from the notice before investing time in an application:

  • Education: Completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma, OR professional training of equivalent level in relevant area with additional professional experience as specified
  • Experience: At least 3 years of total professional work experience after award of diploma
  • Languages: one of the languages of the Union (thoroug…), another language of the Union (satisfa…), English (very go…)
  • Key skills: Installation and maintenance of large-scale and high-availability servers and data storage solutions, Data Backup/Restore and Disaster Recovery, Server and application virtualization implementation and support (VMware technologies), Installation and maintenance of Microsoft Exchange Server on-premises (2016/2019), Email archiving and backup/recovery for Microsoft Exchange, Scripting and automation solutions implementation, Knowledge of Microsoft Server Operating systems and security aspects, Knowledge of Active Directory Domain Services, Knowledge of server and application virtualization with VMware, Knowledge of data backup and restore
  • Eligibility: Be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union and enjoy full rights as a citizen; have fulfilled any obligations imposed by applicable laws on military service; produce appropriate character references; be physically fit to perform duties; fulfil condition stipulated in Article 5 of the Decision of the Executive Director on the Duration of contracts of employment for Temporary A…

Selection process

The notice describes the following selection steps:

  • Online application submission through Europol's recruitment system
  • Initial selection by Selection Committee of candidates meeting all eligibility criteria
  • Shortlisting of 10 highest scoring candidates (minimum pass-mark 60% of total maximum score)
  • Written test and competency-based interview for shortlisted candidates

Contract and working arrangements

Working arrangements: Participation in shift system including weekends and nights as well as on-call duty required.

Hiring unit: Infrastructure Services Team, ICT Operations Unit, ICT Department, Capabilities Directorate.

Position details

Reference
Europol/2026/TA/AD6/778
Vacancy Notice
Download PDF
Last Verified
15 September 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Specialist - Data Storage & Infrastructure Operations at Europol based in The Hague at the AD6 grade level (Temporary Agent). The vacancy reference is Europol/2026/TA/AD6/778. The role falls under the Information Technology domain.

This vacancy is being advertised simultaneously internally and externally. Please note that if the post is filled internally, no appointment will be made from the external publication. Instead, the external selection process may be used to establish a reserve list of qualified candidates who may be considered for the same or similar opportunities in the future.

1. Organisational context

Organisational setting:

The post of Specialist – Data Storage & Infrastructure Operations is located in the Infrastructure Services Team, ICT Operations Unit, ICT Department, Capabilities Directorate.

The C1 ICT Department has the responsibility for devising, delivering and operating critical technology capabilities and solutions supporting the core mission and support processes of Europol. Over 150 internal staff members and a significant number of domain-specific consultants are responsible for devising, developing, delivering and operating information management and communication technology capabilities that ensure enhanced criminal information analysis and exchange among Europol, Member States and third parties.

The ICT Operations Unit is responsible for the operations and management of the Europol ICT Infrastructure. This includes Workplace services, Service Management, Network Services, Platform Services, Application Services, Infrastructure Services and ICT Security.

Purpose of the post:

The role of the Specialist – Data Storage & Infrastructure Operations is in charge of installing, maintaining and supporting of ICT Infrastructure with particular focus on Server-based computing technologies, including data backup/restore, enterprise email services and archiving solutions.

Further tasks include the implementation of the infrastructure solutions in line with design and the provision of 2nd/3rd level support for the solutions in scope.

Reporting lines:

The incumbent reports to the Senior Specialist - Head of Team – Infrastructure Services / Head of Unit – ICT Operations.

Job environment:

This post will require participation in a shift system including weekends and nights as well as on-call duty.

2. Functions and duties

The successful candidate will have to carry out the following main duties:

- Installation and configuration activities in accordance with engineering designs and specifications, performing installation and configuration activities in testing, pre-production and production environments; - Contribute to the technical design of ICT infrastructure solutions in accordance with solution architecture guidelines and standards, translating high-level solution architectures into the implementation of concrete designs, procedures and specifications of ICT infrastructure solutions; - Actively review Architecture and Engineering guidelines to ensure manageability and full understanding of technical consequences; - Review and implement technical requirements for ICT infrastructure solutions including relevant security controls; - Develop and maintain sufficient knowledge about the interdependencies of all infrastructure components deployed in the production environment in order to prevent incidents and problems; - Acting as a second and third level support, perform technical analysis, investigation, troubleshooting and resolution of incidents or problems affecting the Europol ICT infrastructure; - Provide support to capacity management activities, recommending changes in ICT infrastructure in order to address capacity demands; - Provide technical advice and engineering support to other teams in the Department; - Monitor technology developments maintaining up-to-date knowledge of state-of-the-art solutions; - Perform any other tasks in the area of competence as assigned by the line management.

3. Requirements - Eligibility criteria

a. Candidates must

- Be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union and enjoy full rights as a citizen; - Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service; - Produce appropriate character references as to his or her suitability for the performance of the duties; - Be physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the post as further specified in Article 13 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS); - Produce evidence of a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the Union and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the Union to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties.

b. Candidates must have

- A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma;

OR

- Professional training of an equivalent level in a relevant area and after having completed the training, at least the number of years of relevant professional experience as indicated below:

Duration of professional training Additional professional experience required for equivalency

More than 6 months and up to 1 year 3 years

More than 1 year and up to 2 years 2 years

More than 2 years 1 year

- In addition to the above at least 3 years of total professional work experience gained after the award of the diploma.

4. Requirements - Selection criteria

a. Professional experience:

Essential:

- Experience of working in large and complex IT infrastructure environments, including the installation and maintenance of large-scale and high-availability servers and data storage solutions; - Experience with data Backup/Restore and Disaster Recovery; - Experience with server and application virtualization implementation and support, such as VMware technologies; - Hands-on experience, preferably five years or more, with installation and maintenance of Microsoft Exchange Server on-premises (2016/2019); - Experience with email archiving and with backup and recovery for Microsoft Exchange such as VSS-based backups, database restore and mailbox restore requests. - Experience with scripting and implementing of automation solutions in large infrastructure environments.

Desirable:

- Experience with Server-based computing technologies (e.g. Citrix, XenApp or others); - Experience with Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and certificate maintenance

b. Professional knowledge

- Knowledge of recent Microsoft (and/or RedHat) Server Operating systems and their security and maintenance aspects; - Knowledge of Microsoft Exchange Server on-premises (2016/2019) and integration with Microsoft Active Directory; - Knowledge of Active Directory Domain Services and integrated systems on large and complex environments; - Knowledge of server and application virtualization with VMware configuration and related troubleshooting; - Knowledge of data backup and restore.

- Knowledge of mobility platforms (e.g. BlackBerry UEM/BEMS or equivalent) integrated with Microsoft Exchange services; - Knowledge of Dell EMC PowerMax (SAN) and Dell PowerScale (NAS), including maintenance, best practices, and platform capabilities; - Knowledge of Netbackup.

c. General competencies

Communicating:

- Very good communication skills in English, both orally and in writing. - Ability to draft clear and concise documents on complex matters for various audiences.

Analysing & problem solving:

- Keen eye for detail with the ability to maintain standards of accuracy under pressure of tight deadlines. - Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills. - Competent user of Microsoft Office applications (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and the internet.

Delivering quality and results:

- High degree of commitment and flexibility. - High level of customer and service-orientation.

Prioritising & organising:

- Good administrative and organisational skills.

Resilience:

- Very good interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively liaise with other departments, groups and teams as well as with external partners. - Ability to remain effective under a heavy workload and demonstrate resistance to stress.

Living diversity:

- Ability to work effectively in an international and multi-cultural environment.

d. Additional conditions:

Fulfil the condition stipulated in Article 5 of the Decision of the Executive Director on the Duration of contracts of employment for Temporary Agents, on the start date of the possible contract of employment which may be offered.

5. Selection procedure

All applications for Temporary Agent posts must be submitted through the online recruitment system accessible via Europol’s website. For further information, please consult the Europol Recruitment Guidelines.

The Authority Authorised to Conclude Contracts of Employment (AACC) sets up a Selection Committee, composed of at least three members, consisting of one chair and at least one member from the administration and one member designated by the Staff Committee.

The selection criteria, set out in this Vacancy Notice, will be assessed by the Selection Committee throughout the different stages of the selection procedure. Before the start of the selection procedure, the Selection Committee will decide which selection criteria will be used at each stage of the selection procedure. Certain selection criteria will be assessed only for shortlisted candidates during a written test and/or a competency-based interview.

The Selection Committee will assess the applications received in order to make an initial selection of those candidates meeting all eligibility criteria and matching best the selection criteria (suitability).

The minimum pass-mark for being shortlisted, i.e. invited to participate in a post-related selection procedure, consisting of a written test and a competency-based interview, is established as 60% of the total maximum score.

The Selection Committee will shortlist the 10 highest scoring candidates. All candidates having a score equal to the 10th highest scoring candidate will be invited to take part in the selection procedure.

Salary at this grade

Basic monthly salary at AD6 runs from €6,961 (step 1) to €7,876 (top step), giving an annual range of roughly €83,532 to €94,512 before tax and allowances. Steps increase automatically every two years; the figures here are taken from the salary grid in the EU Staff Regulations.

Eligible staff posted away from their country of nationality also receive an expatriation allowance worth 16% of basic salary (around €1,114 per month at step 1 of AD6) together with household, dependent-child, and education allowances where applicable. Take-home pay is then adjusted by the country correction coefficient for The Hague. For a worked example see our correction coefficients guide and the EU salaries overview.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 11 September 2026, 4 days ago.

The application deadline is 7 October 2026, 21 days from today. Late applications are not accepted, so submit through the official EU Careers portal well in advance.

Last verified against the EU Careers feed on 15 September 2026.

Where to learn more

For full responsibilities, requirements, and career progression at AD6 see our AD6 grade page; for headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at Europol see the Europol institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in The Hague see our The Hague location page; for related vacancies in the Information Technology field browse our Information Technology domain page.

New to EU careers? Our beginner's guide walks through entry routes, EPSO competitions, and what to prepare. For application logistics see application tips and EPSO competitions.

Net pay at this grade

At step 1 of AD6, gross monthly basic salary on the Administrators grid is €6,961. Eligible expatriate staff add a 16% expatriation allowance on top (roughly €1,114 per month) before two automatic deductions reduce the taxable base: the joint sickness insurance scheme (JSIS, ~3.6%, €291) and the EU pension contribution (~10.3%, €832). EU community tax (Council Reg. 260/68) is then applied progressively; for the AD7-equivalent band the effective rate sits in the 11 to 13% range, which works out to about €834 per month here.
The Hague carries a correction coefficient of 109.9% (Article 64 of the Staff Regulations), so the net is multiplied by 1.10 to reflect the local cost of living. On those assumptions take-home pay is approximately €6,724 per month, or about €80,689 per year, before household and dependent-child allowances, which can add several hundred euros monthly for staff with families. For the exact bracket-by-bracket computation see our net-pay methodology, and our correction coefficients guide for the full duty-station table.

Comparable recent roles

In the last twenty-four months Europol (and the wider Commission and agencies family) has filled several adjacent roles at the same AD6 grade level. The most recent comparable vacancies, with their actual application windows:
  • Specialist – Data Storage & Infrastructure Operations, Infrastructure Services Team, ICT Operations Unit (AD6) at Europol (C1 ICT) (published 2026-09-11, closed 2026-10-07)
  • Operational Analyst, Operations Directorate (AD6) at Europol (All Units) (published 2026-09-09, closed 2026-09-30)
  • Expert on Consumer Protection at EIOPA (published 2026-09-07, closed 2026-09-28)
  • Expert on Consumer Protection at EIOPA (published 2026-09-04, closed rolling)
  • Senior Specialist – Product Technical Lead at Europol (published 2026-09-03, closed 2026-09-28)
Pattern recognition matters here: recruiters at the same Directorate-General often re-advertise nearly identical profiles every six to nine months, so candidates who miss one window can typically position for the next one. Browse the live catalog: all AD6 openings, other vacancies at Europol, more roles in Information Technology.

Career trajectory

Career progression for AD6 staff is governed by Articles 44 to 46 of the Staff Regulations (consolidated text on EUR-Lex) and Annex IB on the promotion procedure. Step increases are automatic every two years (Art. 44); grade promotion is competitive, based on the appraisal exercise (Art. 45) and the Career Development Review. For roles at Europol, the typical next move is AD7 within four to five years on merit, then AD9 by year nine if the appraisals are strong. Article 46 governs the classification at recruitment, which sets the starting step within the grade (usually step 1 for external recruits without prior EU service, step 2 or 3 where relevant professional experience is recognised).
Mobility within the institutions is encouraged via the inter-institutional and intra-institutional vacancy publication system: temporary agents who pass the probation period and reservists from EPSO laureate lists can typically apply to internal vacancies after one year of service. Lateral moves between Directorates-General reset the seniority clock for promotion only if the new post carries a different grade.

Language profile

Beyond the formal language requirements stated in the vacancy notice, the day-to-day working languages at this employer are English as the operational language. JHA agencies (Frontex, Europol, eu-LISA, EUAA) operate almost entirely in English given their member-state-facing operational mission; a second language is welcome but rarely a daily requirement.

Application cadence

Across the past twenty-four months 2 comparable openings with the same grade and Information Technology signature have been advertised by Europol or related EU bodies, 2 of them in the last twelve months alone. That cadence (roughly 1.0 per year) suggests a candidate who narrowly misses this competition can reasonably expect a similar profile to reopen within six to nine months.

Source: This job listing was sourced from the officialEU Careers portal (EPSO). First published: .Salary estimate based on EU Staff Regulations.

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