Senior Cloud Engineer - Lead Technical Role with Relocation to Netherlands

Are you a seasoned Cloud Engineer ready to build a new life in The Netherlands? This is your chance to emigrate to the Netherlands and step into a leading technical role at an innovative Dutch software company.

We help skilled South African IT professionals relocate to the Netherlands and build a career there. Right now we're looking for an experienced Senior Cloud Engineer for one of our clients: a well-established Dutch software company that develops its own model-driven development platform, used by organisations across Europe.

The role

This is a hands-on leadership role — a working foreman position rather than a desk-bound management job. You'll spend roughly 75–80% of your time on the technical infrastructure work yourself, and the remaining 20–25% coordinating, planning and guiding a small team of two experienced infrastructure engineers.

What you'll do

• Take technical ownership of the infrastructure behind the platform: database and application servers (Windows Server, SQL Server, IIS), in the cloud, on-premise or hybrid.
• Lead by example: guide, coach and coordinate two senior infrastructure engineers, handle planning and priorities, and hold performance conversations.
• Build and run a managed hosting and maintenance service as it moves from preparation to go-live.
• Act as the technical point of contact for clients — translating their needs into workable solutions and explaining technical concepts clearly, also to non-technical people.

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• Spot opportunities to improve infrastructure, processes and ways of working, and take the initiative to act on them.

What we're looking for

• 5+ years of infrastructure experience, with strong knowledge of Azure, Windows Server, SQL Server and IIS, plus on-premise infrastructure and networking. Experience with AWS or GCP is a plus — but you don't need to have mastered every cloud platform. Think of them as a craftsman's tools: deep command of one, and the ability to pick up the others.
• Communication is the deciding factor. The team is strong technically; what it needs is someone who communicates clearly, brings structure, and can stand in front of the group. You don't have to be a natural extrovert — but you should be the kind of engineer who tinkers with home automation at the weekend and can carry a room.
• Leadership: either existing leadership experience, or a strong senior engineer ready to take this step. You'll get plenty of room — but you have to take it. Initiative is exactly what sets this role apart.
• Certifications such as Azure Administrator are a plus.
• Fluent English, and a willingness to learn Dutch. Most of our candidates reach a comfortable conversational level surprisingly quickly, helped by how closely Afrikaans and Dutch sit together.

What we offer

• A complete relocation to the Netherlands, arranged and supported end-to-end: your Highly Skilled Migrant permit via an IND-recognised sponsor, help finding housing, and assistance with the Dutch 30% tax ruling.
• A competitive Dutch salary (roughly R1.4 million per annum, paid in euros, of course).
• A one-year contract with a clear path to a permanent position at the client — and for the right person, that step can come sooner.
• Hybrid working: around two days a week at the office in the east of the Netherlands, flexible once you've found your feet.
• Freedom to experiment, including with AI tooling — no artificial limits on trying things out and finding better ways to work.
• International growth: the platform is expanding into new European markets, so the role grows with the company.
• A healthy daily lunch at the office, 25 holidays a year, and a personal development budget.

Interested?

If you're an experienced Cloud Engineer who wants to lead, build something new, and make the move to the Netherlands, we'd love to hear from you. Apply with your CV and we'll be in touch to talk through both the role and the relocation process.