Application Engineer

Freelance Opportunity: Application Engineer / Administrator Duration: Initial 220 working days, with potential extensions until 04/07/2029 Location: Remote / Proximity Service Provision (within 2 hours ground travel from The Hague) Project Background Our client is seeking an experienced Application Engineer / Administrator consultant to support ICT Operations and Infrastructure activities. The assignment focuses on application engineering, administration, support, maintenance, and operational excellence across application landscape. The consultant will work within a team of 14 specialists and a line manager, following ITIL-based processes and operating in a matrix environment where Agile methodologies may be applied. The role supports critical ICT application systems and services through administration, automation, monitoring, troubleshooting, and continuous service improvement. Key Responsibilities Install, configure, and administer applications in production and non-production environments.Monitor application performance, tune systems, and drive continuous service improvements.Provide application support and maintenance, including incident, change, release, and problem management activities.Create, maintain, and validate application procedures, operational manuals, troubleshooting guides, backup procedures, and restore plans.Automate recurring administration activities and develop technical documentation.Contribute to the development and maintenance of the ICT Operations knowledge base.Produce reports on application availability, performance, capacity, and usage metrics.Collaborate with technical stakeholders and deliver services with a high degree of autonomy and professionalism. Required Profile & Qualifications Senior Application Engineer / Administrator (Expert Level).Minimum 6 years of experience in mid-to-large IT infrastructure environments, including deployment, support, and maintenance of applications.Minimum 5 years of experience in application administration.Minimum 2 years of experience with microservices, container orchestration, and containerized platforms such as Docker or Kubernetes.Minimum 2 years of experience administering and supporting Elasticsearch.Minimum 5 years of experience working with enterprise Microsoft or Linux server solutions.Experience working within ITIL-driven operational environments.Ability to work independently within a contractor-supervised engagement model. Education & Experience University degree of at least 4 years plus a minimum of 9 years of relevant professional experience after graduation;OR University degree of at least 3 years plus a minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience after graduation. Technical Knowledge Mandatory: Deployment and administration of Elasticsearch clusters.Microservices architecture and container orchestration.Kubernetes, Helm Charts, Docker, and Rancher.Configuration management technologies such as Puppet, Ansible, or Chocolatey.Shell scripting and/or PowerShell scripting.ITIL frameworks, including Incident, Change, and Release Management processes.Enterprise Microsoft Server or Linux Server administration.Application deployment, support, maintenance, and operational management.Desirable: DevOps practices and methodologies.Public or Hybrid Cloud platforms (Microsoft Azure or AWS).Relational databases such as Microsoft SQL Server or PostgreSQL.Kong API Gateway.Certifications related to the technologies listed above. Language Working knowledge of English (B2 level or higher). Engagement Terms Freelance-based engagement.Full-time assignment (40 hours per week, 5 working days).Initial allocation of up to 220 working days.Possibility of extension(s) based on business needs and performance, potentially extending service delivery until 04/07/2029.Primarily remote delivery with onboarding onsite and occasional presence at client's premises as required.Participation in on-call rotations approximately every six weeks may be required. Security Requirements Certificate of Good Conduct not older than 3 months.Proof of application for the required security clearance before service commencement.EU Confidential security clearance (or higher) required within 15 weeks from service start date.