Core Systems Engineer

About X-CAGO
With over 25 years of experience, X-CAGO (a PMG Presse-Monitor subsidiary) is the premier conversion partner for media companies around the world. As a recognized leader in tech innovation, X-CAGO boasts an established client database of top-tier international publishers, eKiosk providers, App providers and media monitoring organizations.

X-CAGO’s core mission is to transform content into highly structured, monetizable digital data formats. As we continue to push the boundaries of media technology, we have many innovative solutions - from dynamic Digital Content Hubs to advanced AI Enrichment and intelligent RAG Chatbots. Joining X-CAGO means representing a trusted Technology Partner that is actively shaping the future of digital publishing and media archiving.

The Role

To help us do this, we are looking for a Core Systems Engineer (f/m/d) who wants to architect the engine behind our products.

·       Your task will be to transform our early-stage Python backends and LLM data pipelines into a bulletproof, scalable infrastructure capable of processing complex media data for global publishers.

·       You will have the opportunity to not just do a job but to shape the technical and architectural backbone of our company from the beginning.

If you like great architectural challenges, want to leave your footprint in international media and have a high degree of personal agency, then this position is suitable for you.

You will work closely with our CTO to translate complex business demands into clean system boundaries. You will be the master of our engine room, ensuring our applications run fast, scale seamlessly, and remain observable and resilient.

Key Responsibilities

Build a resilient platform & infrastructure (SRE/DevOps)

●      You will take our current infrastructure setup and elevate it to production-grade maturity. Introduce modern engineering practices like Infrastructure as Code (IaC), automated testing infrastructure, and seamless CI/CD pipelines.

●      Design and implement our complete observability stack—including proactive monitoring, smart alerting, and incident response frameworks—so we sleep soundly while international clients interact with our systems.

●      Leverage modern containerization and internal developer platforms to handle the heavy infrastructure lifting, ensuring our deployment engine is completely automated.

Scale the core application & LLM data pipelines

●      Own, optimize, and expand our core application layer built on Python and Django, ensuring high code quality, smart schema design, and efficient background task processing.

●      Harden and scale our LLM-based data pipelines, ensuring that the parsing of raw unstructured documents into cleanly structured output is fast, error-minimized, cost-effective, and resilient to failure (LLMOps).

●      Optimize database query performance and manage data storage strategies as our document processing volume scales rapidly.

Define system boundaries & collaborative APIs

●      Partner closely with our Product Engineers (Frontend/UX) to design clean, contract-first API boundaries. You provide the reliable data structures; they provide the beautiful user experiences.

●      Keep the system architecture modular, allowing the team to use AI acceleration tools safely without introducing technical debt or breaking system dependencies.

Qualifications & Requirements

●      The intrinsic driver: You do not wait for permission or ask for the playbook. You see an unmonitored service, a slow database query, or a fragile step in an automated data pipeline and you proactively fix it.

●      The automation purist: You genuinely despise manual steps and repetitive tasks. You look at infrastructure through the lens of a software engineer, seeking to automate everything from local setup to cloud deployments.

●      The pragmatic SRE: You love systems engineering but prioritize business velocity. You know when to write a custom script and when to leverage ready-made tools to keep the team moving fast.

●      Technical grounding: You have hands-on experience with backend development and large-scale systems, a strong mastery of database technologies, and a solid foundation in core cloud/DevOps concepts (Docker, CI/CD, observability). Exposure to AI and LLM technologies are a bonus.

What we offer

●      An open playing field: We are a small company with limited system complexity and the plan to grow. You will have a lot of autonomy to shape the engineering culture, tools, and processes for the future.

●      True Partnership: A seat at the table with company leadership and the ability to influence the strategic direction of international media technology.

●      A collaborative and flexible work environment at our European HQ in Roermond. You will be part of a highly committed international team spanning the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Australia

Additional Requirements

●      Higher vocational education (HBO) level of working and thinking.

●      At least 3 years’ relevant work experience in a similar role.

●      Experience with Python and Django is essential.

●      Hybrid working is an option.

Application process

Once we have received your cover letter and CV, you will be invited to an initial interview. If the first impression is positive on both sides, this will be followed by a second interview, during which we will discuss the role in greater detail and you will have the opportunity to meet some of your new colleagues. Based on these interviews, we will jointly assess whether you are a good fit for the vacancy.

Why X-CAGO:

●      A challenging and innovative role with a clear impact on our future.

●      Intensive and professional guidance from experienced professionals.

●      A dynamic and flexible working environment with scope for initiative and personal development.

●      Competitive terms of employment.

●      Opportunities for development and achieving career goals.

●      A group lunch every Tuesday, provided by X-CAGO.

●      A monthly team outing.

Ready to Create the Future?

We don’t care about perfect cover letters.
We care about your drive, your technical judgment, and your vision for building great systems.

How to apply

If you’re passionate about media technology and have proven that you can bridge the gap between building relationships and ambitious international growth, we’d love to hear from you. Please send your resume and a brief cover letter describing your experience to [email protected].