Research Applications & Data Services Officer

This job can be based in Cambridge or Amsterdam, only apply once.

We’re looking for a Research Applications & Data Services Officer to join our New Services Development team. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys exploring emerging technologies, working hands-on with research communities, and translating complex research needs into practical, scalable solutions.

You’ll be working at the intersection of research, data, and technology, helping shape next‑generation services across the European research and education community. The work is varied, technical, and collaborative, from early-stage exploration and prototyping through to supporting services that can scale across national and European infrastructures.

This role suits someone curious, technically minded, and motivated by building services that have real impact across research and scientific communities.

What You’ll Do

Research Data & Technology Exploration

You’ll explore emerging technologies and trends across research data, data science, and AI, identifying opportunities that can support future research services. You’ll contribute to horizon scanning, help assess how technologies apply across the research data lifecycle, and take part in early-stage activities such as proofs of concept, pilots, and technical evaluations.

Service Design & Early Development

You’ll contribute to the design and early development of new services. This includes translating research needs into technical requirements, supporting prototyping activities, and helping assess technical feasibility. You’ll work on services that span the full research data lifecycle, from acquisition and processing through to sharing and preservation.

Research Community Engagement

A key part of the role involves engaging with researchers, research communities, and national research and education networks (NRENs). You’ll work to understand complex data-driven workflows and ensure these needs are reflected in the services being designed and developed.

Integration & Infrastructure Collaboration

You’ll support the evaluation and integration of data platforms, analytics tools, repositories, and research computing environments. You’ll also contribute to understanding how services can operate within federated environments, including authentication and authorisation infrastructures (AAI), ensuring they are secure, interoperable, and scalable.

Collaboration & Project Contribution

You’ll work as part of a distributed, international team, contributing technical input to European projects focused on research data and AI-enabled infrastructures. You’ll collaborate closely with internal teams, partners, and external stakeholders to move ideas from concept through to implementation.

About You

You may be a good fit if you…

• Have a technical background in areas such as networking, identity and access management, data management, cloud, or security
• Understand the research data lifecycle and the role of data services in modern research
• Have experience or exposure to research data infrastructures, research computing, or data‑intensive environments
• Can translate research or user needs into clear technical requirements
• Enjoy working collaboratively with distributed, international teams
• Are curious, proactive, and motivated to explore new technologies and ideas

Desirable (but not essential)

• Experience working with European or nationally funded research projects
• Familiarity with the research and education networking community (e.g. NRENs or federated infrastructures)
• Understanding of authentication and authorisation infrastructures (AAI)
• Interest or experience in AI-driven research or data services
• Exposure to service design, prototyping, or early-stage service development
• A Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Computer Science or Data Science

Application Process

Applications close on Sunday, 14th June 2026, although we may close earlier if we receive sufficient interest. Every application is reviewed by a member of our team.

Our selection process is designed to be transparent and respectful of your time, and includes:

• An initial call with a recruiter (for longlisted candidates)
• A 30‑minute interview with the hiring manager
• A final in‑person interview at our Cambridge office

Why GÉANT?

GÉANT is Europe’s leading collaboration on e-infrastructure and services for research and education. We connect over 50 million users across 10,000 institutions, enabling breakthroughs in science, education, and innovation.

Working here means being part of something bigger. You’ll contribute to projects that have real-world impact, from climate research to space exploration.

What We Offer

• Flexible hybrid working (3 days in office)
• 31 days holiday + public holidays
• Annual learning budget and conference support
• A mission-driven culture with real-world impact

Want to know more about life at GÉANT?

Visit: Why Work for GÉANT

Once you will apply, GEANT Association will act as the controller of your data - our full candidate Privacy Notice can be found here:

https://geant.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GEANT_Candidate_Privacy_Notice_V1.2.pdf