IT Expert (remote from EU) - Deadline 23/05/25

The selected IT Specialist will contribute to the Open Source Programme Office (OSPO) activities, with a focus on the EU Open Source Solutions Catalogue and the identification of critical open source software used by public administrations in Europe. The following tasks will be carried out under the supervision of the European Commission:

•       Provide technical expertise and operational support for the maintenance, validation, and evolution of the EU Open Source Solutions Catalogue;

•       Review and analyse public code.yml metadata files to ensure quality, consistency, and alignment with catalogue requirements and EU interoperability standards;

•       Contribute to the governance and evolution of the public code.yml metadata standard by engaging with the open source community, participating in discussions on proposed changes, and helping align the standard with the needs of European public administrations;

•       Contribute to the onboarding of new open source solutions into the catalogue, including liaising with

public sector stakeholders and supporting the preparation of metadata;

•       Provide support and technical expertise to national or regional open source catalogues that wish to connect with or contribute to the EU Open Source Solutions Catalogue, including guidance on metadata alignment, tooling, and interoperability;

•       Conduct research and analysis to support the identification of critical open source software used in public administrations across Europe;

•       Assess the health and sustainability of selected open source projects by examining factors such as community size and activity, frequency of maintenance, quality of documentation, and presence of active maintainers;

•       Assist in the development of a risk-based methodology for evaluating open source software projects and prioritising those that may require support;

•       Contribute to reports, presentations, and briefings related to the study on critical open source software in Europe;

•       Provide technical advice and recommendations based on hands-on experience with open source development practices, version control systems (e.g. Git), and project hosting platforms;

•       Participate in technical discussions with stakeholders from public administrations, academia, and the open source community;

•       Support the dissemination of results through technical documentation, contributions to web content, and participation in relevant events.

•       The assignment may be adjusted over time in line with evolving priorities, projects, and strategic goals of the OSPO.

Level of education:

As stated in the Article 2.6.3.1. of DIGIT-TM II Service requirements, a minimum educational qualification for lot 2 is: Level of education corresponding to Level 6 of the European Qualification Framework (which typically corresponds to a bachelor’s level or 3 years of higher education).

Following knowledge and skills are required for the performance of the above listed tasks: 

•          Good knowledge of the EC policymaking process;

•          Ability to participate in technical meetings and good communication skills;

•          Teamwork skills, including ability to work in a friendly, organised, and well-structured manner also under pressure;

•          Strong interpersonal skills and ability to understand what each stakeholder wants and needs;

•          Very good communication skills with technical and non-technical audiences;

•          Ability to work autonomously, managing his/her own workload independently, providing status updates, liaising with others, and escalating issues as appropriate;

•          Analysis and problem-solving skills;

•          Capability to write clear and structured documents, presentations;

•          Ability to apply high quality standards.

Due to the particular nature of a large international organisation such as the European Commission, candidates should also have the following non-technical skills:

•       Capability of integration in an international/multicultural environment, rapid self-starting capability and experience in working in team

•       Ability to participate in multilingual meetings

•       Ability to work in multi-cultural environment, on multiple large projects

•       Excellent Team Player

•       Ability to understand, speak and write in English (C1/C2), while to do so in other EU languages will be an advantage

•       High degree of discretion and integrity.

Following specific expertise is mandatory for the performance of tasks:

•          At least 15 years of demonstrated experience working with open source software, including hands-on contributions and/or participation in open source communities;

•          Proven professional communication skills, including the ability to prepare high-quality written materials and deliver technical presentations to diverse audiences;

•          Solid understanding of the publiccode.yml metadata standard, including practical experience reviewing, authoring, or validating such files in public sector contexts;

•          Experience with Git-based version control systems and workflows, and familiarity with platforms commonly used in open source development (e.g. GitHub, GitLab, code.europa.eu);

•          Understanding of the governance models and community dynamics typical of open source projects, including aspects such as maintainership, licensing, contribution models, and sustainability;

•          Experience supporting or contributing to public sector digital initiatives, preferably involving open source software adoption, cataloguing, or interoperability;

•          Ability to assess the sustainability and risks associated with open source projects, including evaluating technical health, documentation quality, and community activity;

•          Experience engaging with or supporting metadata catalogues or open data platforms at national, regional, or European level is an asset;

•          Capacity to work autonomously and collaboratively in an international, multilingual, and cross functional team setting.

•          Experience in procuring, setting up, and general user management of a software development repository (based on Gitlab or equivalent).

Level: Expert

Delivery mode : Remote (within EU)

ONLY EU CITIZENS

Deadline : 23/05/25 at 11: 00 CET