IT Implementation Support Administrator

As digital transformation reshapes daily work, organisations need dependable technology partners. BIT offers a structure with defined responsibilities to support the efficiency and effectiveness of IT activities and provide consistent business services while fostering a workplace where staff contributions are acknowledged and valued. At the European Patent Office (EPO), we are undergoing a major transformation to build a DevOps practice, embed agile principles, adopt green technologies and use artificial intelligence. Our mission is to support innovation, competitiveness and economic growth across Europe. We take innovation seriously and are fully committed to our digital transformation.

The EPO's Strategic Plan 2028 reinforces our commitment to sustainability by engaging and empowering our workforce through modern HR practices. The strategy focuses on attracting and developing talent, supporting mobility and flexibility, providing engaging workspaces and ensuring the EPO remains a leading institution in the intellectual property field.

The IT Co‑operation directorate facilitates seamless technical collaboration among national patent offices (NPOs), ensuring high‑quality services, efficient processes and a harmonised patent ecosystem for users of the European patent system. The IT Co‑operation Implementation Support team is a multidisciplinary group working with national offices and IP organisations to develop, implement and maintain modern IT tools. Throughout the project life cycle, the team co‑ordinates with stakeholders to co‑create, deliver, support and enhance solutions. Our mission is to streamline and simplify all patent‑related processes by managing strong IT co‑operation initiatives that enhance interoperability between the EPO and its partner offices. This includes a comprehensive programme to modernise and digitise partner office operations, support tools from application submission to grant and publication, oversee the global roll‑out of an advanced search tool and promote the use of AI.

We are now looking for highly motivated, experienced experts who can work independently and bring state‑of‑the‑art knowledge to the IT Co‑operation directorate.

With us you will:

• contribute as part of a multidisciplinary team delivering IT co‑operation initiatives aligned with the European Patent Organisation's strategic objectives
• lead the preparation and implementation of IT co‑operation solutions at NPOs, covering the full life cycle, from technical assessment to operational deployment
• analyse, adapt and technically configure solutions to meet local operational, legal and infrastructural requirements, ensuring production readiness and fitness for purpose
• act as technical implementation lead, co‑ordinating installation, configuration, integration, testing and go‑live activities in close co‑operation with NPOs and internal IT colleagues
• provide technical expertise throughout the solution life cycle, including troubleshooting, performance optimisation, documentation and operational handover, to ensure stable and maintainable systems
• co‑ordinate local implementations and technical activities with all stakeholders, working closely with business analysts, solution architects, developers, DevOps teams, project managers, external contractors and partner offices
• initiate, manage and close complex or high-risk projects, ensuring appropriate governance and delivery while maintaining control over scope, timelines, budget, resources, risks and quality

Apply if you have:

• proven experience in IT project delivery, combining hands‑on implementation responsibilities with structured project management practices
• a solid understanding of intellectual property processes and related procedures or demonstrated ability to quickly acquire domain knowledge in a regulated, international environment
• experience deploying and supporting IT solutions in production, ideally across multiple national or international organisations with heterogeneous IT landscapes
• practical experience with agile and/or hybrid delivery approaches (e.g. Scrum, iterative delivery, incremental roll‑outs) in complex stakeholder environments
• technical understanding of modern IT architectures, including cloud‑based solutions, integration concepts and operational considerations
• a results‑driven and solution‑oriented mindset, with the ability to adapt priorities and approaches in a fast‑evolving, delivery‑focused environment
• strong stakeholder management skills, demonstrating tact, diplomacy and cultural awareness when working with national offices, internal teams and external partners

Our minimum requirements for this post

• Diploma of completed studies at master's level or – in exceptional cases – equivalent professional experience
• Generally, an excellent knowledge (at least C1) of one official language (English, French and German) and ability to understand the other two; alternatively, excellent knowledge (at least C1) of at least one official language (in such cases, the willingness to learn the missing language(s) and to reach level B2 within a set time frame would be required)
• Citizenship of one of the member states of the European Patent Organisation

Process

Candidates are kindly asked to upload an updated CV and outline their motivation in the designated application field (character limit 4000). If so wished, the motivation letter can also be uploaded as a Word or pdf attachment under "Application document" in SuccessFactors. In this case, please indicate in the designated field "Please refer to attached motivation letter".

The successful candidate will be selected on the basis of...