Open Source Tech Lead

What we do

Since 1863, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has worked to preserve human dignity and relieve suffering caused by war and armed violence.

In collaboration with our Red Cross and Red Crescent partners around the world, we do everything we can to deliver life-saving aid, reconnect families and locate missing people – helping those who need it most, regardless of who they are and what side of the front line they are on.

We engage with authorities and armed forces on all sides, often confidentially, pressing for access to detainees to improve their living conditions and urging compliance with international humanitarian law to protect non-combatants, including from digital threats.

Purpose

The OSPRE (Open Source and Information Preservation) team, part of the Digital Workplace product line, builds, operates and supports around 30 open-source and proprietary applications used across the ICRC, including Odoo, Matrix / Element.io, most of them running on an OpenShift/Kubernetes platform.

The Tech Lead provides the technical expertise and operational leadership needed to keep this environment reliable, secure and continuously evolving, enabling seamless information sharing, document management and collaboration across the organization.

Tech Lead strengthens the team’s operational and development capacity: operating and supporting the OpenShift / Kubernetes platform, developing Python-based tools and integrations, and providing technical support for the team’s core technologies, notably open-source technology as Odoo and Matrix / Element.io. The role calls for genuine interest in open-source technologies and the ability to learn and adopt new ones independently as the stack evolves.

Accountabilities & functional responsibilities

• Define and supervise the implementation of technical standards across the team’s solutions, ensuring consistent design choices and leading the architecture beyond individual products to connect with other solutions and anticipate higher-level evolutions.
• Analyze recurring issues and requests to reduce ticket volume and improve reliability.
• Operate and monitor OpenShift/Kubernetes clusters, troubleshoot and resolve Level 1 escalations, and coordinate with other teams as needed.
• Develop and maintain Python-based tools, scripts, connectors and automations and contribute code to Git repositories (branching, code review, pull requests).
• Work with the Product Owner and Product Architects to translate business and technical needs into reliable, maintainable solutions.
• Evaluate and adopt new open-source technologies relevant to the team's stack.
• Take part in the team's Agile ways of working.
• Oversee security configurations, user access management, privileged role reviews, and integration authentication mechanisms.
• Lead remediation of security vulnerabilities, support audits, and ensure traceability of technical controls (ex: DRP) and compliance with internal security policies.
• Work on innovative engineering solutions that may include new products, software applications, or improvements to existing systems.
• Oversee the documentation of technical-related solution designs.
• Proactively manage and monitor incidents, product tickets, service requests, and backlog.
• Ensure 24/7 quality product support and high system availability as part of the OSPRE team, following established procedures and shift/on-call schedules.
• May manage external resources depending on initiatives/products.
• Organize and animate a community of practice, helping Engineers to grow their skills and ensuring they are aligned with the best practices.

Relationships

• Internally, interact with other IT Engineers, Architects, Product Owners, Scrum Master, Project Managers, “métiers” representatives
• Externally, interacts with IT suppliers and service providers in particular with ASCs (Application Service Center) and other international organizations, NGOs.

Professional experience required

• Typically 7-8 years’ relevant professional experience.
• Strong DevOps profile, with hands-on expertise operating OpenShift and Kubernetes environments.
• Mastery of Open Source technology.
• Solid development skills in Python and experience developing and collaborating on Git.
• Strong technical background in OpenShift / Kubernetes and Python-based development.
• Proven experience using a corporate service management (ticketing) tool.
• Genuine interest in open-source technologies and the adaptability to learn new tools independently.
• Good understanding of strategic, new and emerging technology trends.

Certifications / Education required

• Bachelor’s degree in ICT / Technical sciences or equivalent professional experience.
• Certification in Agile methodologies is an asset.
• Excellent command of English. French is an asset.

Desired profile and skills

• Strongly motivated by humanitarian work
• Able to work under pressure in a potentially dangerous environment

What we offer

• A work and progressive professional development in an exciting international humanitarian environment
• Hybrid working model- 3 days in the office
• An inspiring opportunity to practice your profession in a humanitarian and multicultural organization
• Stimulating benefits package

Additional information

• Type of role: Technical Engineer 2 (801445)
• Working rate: 100%
• Location: Tresnjinog cveta1, Belgrade
• Job level: C1
• Length of assignment: Open-ended
• Type of position: Resident (The vacancy is open only for persons with Serbian citizenship or a personal work permit in the Republic of Serbia)
• Application deadline: 24.11.2026.

The ICRC values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

If you are interested in this position, please send us your CV / Motivation letter in English. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Our values

At the ICRC, we value impact, collaboration, respect, and compassion. We seek candidates who demonstrate behaviors based on these shared values. For more information on the ICRC values, please visit this page.