IT Applications Technician

Introduction

Serco is a trusted leader in Space Services, with a proud history spanning over 55 years and a track record of supporting more than 50 space missions for world-renowned agencies like ESA and NASA. Our expertise covers the entire space lifecycle—from satellite testing and launch services to spacecraft operations, space surveillance, and data management—making us a key partner in advancing national strategies and driving innovation in the New Space era. High above Earth, Europe's space systems work silently in the background, supporting navigation, safety, and security across the continent.

On behalf of our team in Czech Republic, we are looking for a skilled IT specialist to support Serco’s role in prestigious EU-funded actions managed by the granting authority under the powers delegated by the European Commission. The action focuses on the AI/ML digital transition of Copernicus services through AI Agent that integrates data, models, workflows, QA/QC, and interoperability with European infrastructures.
The candidate will be responsible for ensuring that Serco’s project contributions are compliant with FAIR principles, Copernicus and DestinE expectations, European Data Spaces, and relevant metadata and interoperability standards. This person will act as Serco’s technical authority for data governance, standards, metadata, and interoperability across the project. This role is suitable for a senior interoperability architect, data governance expert, EO data specialist, or geospatial standards specialist who can combine technical understanding with project coordination and deliverable ownership.

 
Key responsibilities

• Lead Serco’s activities in specific work packages, ensuring alignment with standards such as FAIR principles, INSPIRE, DCAT-AP, OGC, and relevant DestinE metadata frameworks.
• Define and maintain metadata, data governance, and interoperability requirements for project outputs, including EO data, model-generated products, contextual datasets, and QA/QC information.
• Work with the team and partners to ensure outputs can be exposed as machine-readable, discoverable, reusable, and standardised services.
• Contribute to data integration, data interoperability and data standards definition
• Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders, including consortium partners, technical work package leads, and EU/Copernicus-related stakeholders.
• Prepare and review Serco-led deliverables.
• Provide guidance to the technical integration engineer on how interoperability specifications should be implemented.
• Support project reporting, technical meetings, reviews, and documentation.

Required experience

• Strong experience in Earth Observation, Copernicus, geospatial data platforms, or environmental data services.
• Good understanding of data interoperability, metadata, catalogues, APIs, and data governance.
• Experience with European standards and frameworks such as FAIR, INSPIRE, DCAT-AP, OGC standards, or similar.
• Ability to translate project requirements into clear technical specifications and implementation guidance.
• Strong documentation, coordination, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Fluent English, written and spoken.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in the Space sector.

Technical knowledge

• FAIR data principles
• INSPIRE / DCAT-AP / OGC standards
• EO metadata and data catalogues
• Copernicus services and datasets
• DestinE / European Data Spaces concepts
• Geospatial data formats and APIs
• Data governance and documentation

Desired experience

• Experience working on EU-funded projects, Horizon Europe projects, Copernicus-related contracts, ESA projects, or similar international R&D programmes.
• Knowledge of Destination Earth, European Data Spaces, SIMPL, Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, or similar European digital infrastructure initiatives.
• Experience with EO data catalogues, STAC, OGC API standards, ISO metadata standards, or geospatial data services.
• Understanding of AI/ML workflows for Earth Observation or environmental intelligence.
• Experience working with distributed technical teams across multiple countries.