RFP/Networking Contractor Amsterdam

Statement of Purpose
Wikimedia is looking for a contractor who will support the Operations team in designing and maintaining the Wikimedia network infrastructure. Due to several large projects, including the build out of a complete replica of the  entire Wikimedia cluster, the Operations team is resource constrained,  especially in the expertise area of networking. The position is based in the Netherlands, preferably in the Amsterdam area.

As Network Operations Engineer, your job is to assist in the technical operations of the Wikimedia Foundation projects and backing infrastructure, with emphasis on network infrastructure. You will be responsible for designing, implementing and maintaining Wikimedia's network infrastructure including planned global expansion, as well as more general system administration and infrastructure operations. You will also be required to perform on-site data center operations in Wikimedia's Haarlem and Amsterdam data center sites where needed, as a small portion of your time.

Background Information
The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to encouraging the growth, development and distribution of free, multilingual content, and to providing the full content of these wiki-based projects to the public free of charge. The Wikimedia Foundation operates some of the largest collaboratively edited reference projects in the world, including Wikipedia, a top-ten internet property.

Scope of Work
Duties include, but are not limited to the following:
 * Peering negotiations, BGP session maintenance
 * Routing policy design and implementation
 * Device setup and maintenance to assist data center operations
 * Implementation and maintenance of network monitoring
 * Software/firmware problem identification and resolution, bug reporting
 * Response to system outages
 * Racking and on-site data center setup of new systems and cable management
 * General infrastructure operations and system administration, including server installations and configuration management
 * Other operations tasks as assigned

Outcome and Performance Standards
You are expected to work between 20 and an agreed on maximum number of hours a week on average. During these (flexible) hours you are required to be available online for collaboration with the (international) Foundation team. As part of these hours, the project then encompasses the physical maintenance of the Wikimedia data center in Haarlem.

Outside these hours, you may incidentally be contacted for emergencies (e.g. during system outages).

Besides maintaining regular communication with your point of contact, you may need to participate in bi-weekly online Operations meetings with the rest of the team. There will be milestone check ins with the Foundation to discuss progress and activities. You must be willing to travel occasionally for international meetups, as well as to perform your duties.

Term of Contract
Your initial contract will be for a duration of 6 months, and will commence as soon as possible. Renegotiation at the termination of the contract is optional.

Payments, Incentives, and Penalties
Rate will be determined by level of experience and expertise. Please submit bid proposal.

Required qualifications
Respondent parties are expected to:
 * have deep knowledge of and 3+ years of hands-on experience with networking, routing and switching, including inter-domain routing, BGP,  IGPs and high availability protocols.
 * have advanced knowledge of and 3+ years of experience with Linux (server) system administration.
 * be able to work independently where needed, and can work remotely as part of a globally distributed team.
 * be able to learn quickly. Relevant hands-on experience and eagerness to learn and try new concepts is more important than having certificates.
 * be comfortable in a highly collaborative, consensus-oriented environment.
 * proficient speakers in the English language.

Furthermore:
 * Experience with high traffic web site operations is a plus.
 * Experience with on-site data center operations is a plus.
 * Experience with development using scripting languages is a plus.
 * Experience with configuration management software (e.g. Puppet) is a plus.
 * Understanding of the free culture movement is a plus.
 * The ideal candidate will be creative, highly motivated, and able to operate effectively in multiple cultural contexts.

Points of contact for future correspondence

 * Mark Bergsma  (engagement manager)
 * Engineering Program Manager - Operations