LEAD IT INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEER (M/F)

Reporting to the Senior Manager End User Computing & Infrastructure, the Lead IT Infrastructure Engineer is the key IT infrastructure expert for the Puurs site. More extensively, this role is responsible to ensure continuity and stability of IT infrastructure across the three Belgian sites, working closely together with other IT team members. The role blends hands-on engineering with architectural duties to ensure stability, resilience, and security. Eventually, you would also lead pan-European infrastructure projects and globally (excluding the USA), supporting Prayon’s IOS strategy.

Your responsibilities

• You act as the primary contact for infrastructure incidents and projects in Puurs, and when needed, the other Belgian sites,
• You install, configure, and maintain servers, networks, storage, firewalls, Wi-Fi, backups, and IT facility components (UPS, racks, cabling, cooling),
• You monitor infrastructure performance daily, conduct risk assessments, and define mitigation strategies to ensure stability,
• You design infrastructure solutions aligned with enterprise standards and liaise with the Automation teams on OT-related infrastructure,
• You work closely with the HUB-based Senior IT Infrastructure Engineer to maintain high availability, disaster recovery, and business continuity,
• You lead infrastructure projects (network upgrades, datacenter modernization, hybrid cloud) and coordinate vendor activities with minimal downtime,
• You maintain accurate technical documentation, disaster recovery plans, and support compliance efforts, including NIS2 requirements,
• You contribute to long-term IT strategy, define multi-year roadmaps and budgets, and support datacenter modernization and consolidation,
• You collaborate with Cyber Security, SecOps, and business managers to align on security, compliance, and reliable IT support.

Profile

• You have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in computer science, IT Infrastructure, or equivalent experience,
• You are passionate about IT infrastructure engineering, in particular networking infrastructure,
• You have a think-before-you-act mentality, leveraging both a desire to work in a structured manner and an ability to execute and act decisively under ambiguity or stress,
• You naturally assume a leading and mentoring role towards more junior colleagues,
• You interact in a business and client oriented way with our customers, and possess the skill to adapt technical language to your audience,
• You have more than 12 years of experience in IT infrastructure management,
• An experience in industrial/OT-heavy environments (chemicals, pharma, manufacturing) is a strong plus,
• You have senior-level expertise in Cisco networking, VMware, enterprise storage, backup, and virtualization,
• You are capable of leading and executing infra projects independently,
• You have a strong troubleshooting and preventative mindset,
• You are skilled at working across technical, business, and vendor interfaces,
• You are able to operate both as a hands-on engineer and trusted advisor for Belgian/European infra strategy,
• Certifications such as Cisco, VMware, Microsoft Azure, or equivalent infrastructure certification are an asset,
• Fluency in Dutch and English is required; knowledge of French is a strong advantage.