Junior Systems Engineer (m/f/d)

Open-Xchange Inc.; Olpe; Hybrid; EUR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-friendly work environment

Flexible working hours

Team workshops and events

Volunteer time off

Mental health support

Ergonomic chair/desk subsidy

Job summary

Open-Xchange is seeking an IT professional to join our Internal IT team. You’ll manage user identities, access controls, and authentication across our internal environment, and help maintain our IT infrastructure and cloud services.

You’ll work with diverse technologies and have opportunities to learn and grow. You don’t need to know everything on day one; we value a strong Linux foundation, willingness to learn, and proactive problem solving in a small team.

Qualifications

• Completed apprenticeship as IT specialist or similar qualification.
• Solid foundation in Linux system administration and networking.
• Initial scripting/automation experience.
• Interest in cloud technologies and identity management.
• Hands-on mindset and willingness to troubleshoot independently.
• Good communication and service-oriented approach.

Responsibilities

• Manage user identities, access permissions, and authentication systems across our internal IT environment.
• Maintain and improve IT infrastructure, corporate network, and related services.
• Administer and support cloud-based platforms, applications, and internal services.
• Connect systems, streamline workflows, and automate repetitive tasks.
• Monitor availability, reliability, and performance of infrastructure and services.
• Support colleagues with day-to-day technical needs and onboarding.
• Assist in purchasing and lifecycle management of IT hardware/software.
• Explore and apply AI-based tools to improve internal IT processes.
• Participate in occasional on-call duties to ensure service availability.

Skills

Linux administration

Networking

Scripting

Cloud technologies

Identity management

German language

English language

Troubleshooting

On-call readiness

Education

Apprenticeship as IT specialist

Tools

Ansible

Git

Python

Docker

Linux

Bash

Kubernetes

Keycloak

LDAP

Dovecot

Postfix

Mariadb

Ceph

ZFS

Apache

Job description

Our mission:

Are you passionate about IT, curious about new technologies, and looking for a role where you can learn and grow? Join our Internal IT team and gain hands‑on experience across a wide range of technologies, help keep our systems running smoothly, and make a real difference for your colleagues while developing your skills along the way.At Open-Xchange (OX), we develop open‑source communication and collaboration software used by public sector organizations, telcos, and hosting providers to keep data secure and under their control. Our products cover email, collaboration, DNS security, and related services, and are used by millions of people worldwide.

Discover what OX offers you:

• We work in a non-hierarchical organization that empowers everyone to take responsibility, stay focused, and contribute directly to the company’s success and customer value.
• We value expertise and continuous professional development. Our professionals work closely with experienced colleagues, take ownership of their work, and continuously expand their skills.
• Openness and diversity are core to OX. Different perspectives, backgrounds, and ways of thinking strengthen our collaboration and help us see the bigger picture.

Your team:

You’ll be part of our small and collaborative Internal IT team, helping to keep our internal systems, network, and cloud services running smoothly. Working with a wide range of technologies and supporting colleagues across OX, you’ll take on a variety of tasks with plenty of opportunities to learn, grow, and take ownership of your work.

Your new job:

• Manage user identities, access permissions, and authentication systems across our internal IT environment.
• Maintain and improve our IT infrastructure, corporate network, and related services to keep everything running smoothly.
• Administer and support cloud-based platforms, applications, and internal services used across OX.
• Connect systems, streamline workflows, and automate repetitive tasks to make our internal IT processes more efficient.
• Monitor the availability, reliability, and performance of our infrastructure and services, identifying and resolving technical issues.
• Support colleagues with their day-to-day technical needs and prepare IT equipment, accounts, and access for new employees.
• Help select, purchase, and manage IT hardware and software throughout their lifecycle.
• Explore and apply AI-based tools to improve internal IT processes, services, and everyday workflows.
• Participate in occasional on-call duties to help ensure the availability of our internal IT services.

This is the tech stack you'll be working with:

Scale 1-5 where 5 means “hands‑on depth expected on day one” and 1 means “we expect nothing and train it on the job”:

• Ansible, Git, Python / Scripting | 3 |
• Network Fundamentals: VLANs, Routing, Firewalls, VPNs, Switch Configuration, DNS | 3 |
• Mail infrastructure: Dovecot (CE / Pro), Postfix, IMAP/SMTP) | 2 |
• Databases: Mariadb | 3 |
• Identity: Keycloak, LDAP | 2 |
• Storage: Object storage (S3-compatible), Ceph, ZFS | 2 |
• Tooling: Linux, Bash, Docker, Basic Linux services such as the Apache web server | 4 |
• Kubernetes | 1 |
• OX‑Specific Services, such as OX AppSuite | 1 |

Your background:

You don't need to know everything from day one. We're looking for someone with a good technical foundation, a willingness to learn, and the motivation to grow into the role.

• A completed apprenticeship as an IT specialist or a similar qualification.
• A solid foundation in Linux system administration and networking.
• Initial experience with scripting, automation, or managing IT infrastructure.
• An interest in cloud technologies, identity management, and modern IT operations.
• A hands‑on mindset and the willingness to troubleshoot and solve technical problems independently.
• Good communication skills and a service‑oriented approach when supporting colleagues.
• Very good written and spoken German and English.
• Curiosity, a willingness to learn, and the motivation to explore new technologies.
• The ability to work independently while being a reliable part of a small team.
• Willingness to be on call occasionally.

This is what you get at OX:

• A remote‑friendly work environment with plenty of flexibility. Ideally, you're based in South Westphalia or the greater Cologne/Düsseldorf area to make occasional on‑site collaboration and infrastructure‑related visits easier.
• Flexible working hours that allow you to successfully combine your home and family responsibilities with work.
• Getting together in‑person for workshops and fun team events.
• Time off to volunteer – and mental health support when you need it.
• We provide financial relief through corporate benefits and a subsidy for ergonomic chairs and desks.
• We can discuss further location‑related benefits together in an initial talk.

Join the team:

Join us in our fight for an open internet and deliver added value!

Your contact person:

Reach out to Justin ([e-mail]) from the People Team. He will be able to discuss current opportunities and tell you more about our exciting vision and mission @OX.