Airborne IT Support Specialist (f/m/d)

20 hours per week
Start date: 1st April 2026

Sea-Watch e.V. is a non-profit initiative dedicated to the civil sea rescue of people on the move. In view of the humanitarian disaster in the central Mediterranean Sea-Watch provides emergency aid, demands the rescue by the responsible European institutions and publicly stands up for legal escape routes. We are politically and religiously independent and are financed exclusively by donations.

The Sea-Watch IT team is responsible for all of Sea-Watch’s IT infrastructure, both onshore and onboard. We prioritise collaboration, operational excellence, security and empathy for our users. We are a team of 15-20 people working as employed persons, freelancers and as volunteers.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and motivated individual to fulfill the role of Airborne IT Support Specialist with up to 20 hours per week (including some evenings and weekends), preferably in Berlin (optionally remote) to join our AIR IT section (2 persons) and growing Operational IT team (a team of 5). The position is initially limited to 12 months with possibility of extension. Working, exchanging and aligning with the IT team and the Airborne department you will provide first level support, device management for the Airborne departments and some emergency on call for Ops departments. You will work to ensure the reliability, usability, scalability, and security of our systems and clients. This role requires a deep understanding of open source technologies and digital security practices, strong problem-solving skills, excellent communication skills and a passion for staying up-to-date with the latest industry innovations. Central to this role is a dedication and commitment to supporting Sea-Watch’s Airborne operations and meeting the day to day IT needs and challenges facing of our Airborne Crews.

The role requires some travel to our assets dictated by the operational calendar (around twice per year), participation in in-person meetings with both the Airborne and IT departments (4-6 times per year) as well as regular on-call work. You will be based in the Operational IT section of the IT department and will co-lead on developing processes, structure and procedures as well as participating in the on-call schedule of Airborne and Ships mission support. We offer you to be part of a team who are supportive and motivated and an organisation where you can actively engage in decision making structures and strategic processes.

General tasks

  • Plan, develop and maintain a working infrastructure (hardware and software) that meets the needs of the Airborne department (ca. 40 members, both back office and operational positions)
  • Process and resolve Airborne-related IT support tickets and requests
  • Implement strong security practices, policies and training for our activists
  • Support the Airborne and Operational IT through documentation and remote support
  • Take evening and weekend shifts to provide emergency on-call support to operational departments (Airborne and Ships)

Your Profile

  • Willingness to familiarise yourself with new, IT-specific problems
  • Skilled in addressing technical issues and configurations for Linux Mint client systems, MacOS and Windows knowledge is a plus
  • Capable of providing fundamental technical support for iPhone devices used by the operational teams, including experience in Mobile Device Management and security good practices
  • Experience in maintaining IT hardware in general, like replacing broken screen of a laptop
  • Experience in optimising and debugging network connections for seamless operations
  • Basic scripting or programming skills (eg. Python)
  • Ability to reliably plan, conscientiously and independently implement tasks
  • Strong organisational and time management skills
  • High level of motivation and accountability
  • Excellent communication skills, both technical and interpersonal
  • Empathy for users who have limited technical knowledge
  • Decisiveness and proactive approach to problem solving
  • Very good knowledge of English
  • Ability to mediate between different interests
  • Ability to travel to our Area of Operations (Italy 1-2 times per year), ability to attend longer in-person meetings (usually Germany, 4-6 times per year)
  • Ability to work weekends and evenings as part of an on call rota
  • Strong identification with the goals and contents of Sea-Watch e.V.
  • Experience with activist or political organisations or groups
  • Commitment to challenging racism, sexism and the EU border policy

We offer you

  • A rapidly growing non-profit organisation with constantly new challenges, ideas and projects
  • A dynamic, varied work environment with flat hierarchies
  • Offers of internal training and promotion of individual further education
  • Place of work in the Berlin or home office
  • A meaningful, varied job with a lot of responsibility and a monthly gross salary of 1700 euros for 20 hours per week (increase possible due to various factors*)
  • Special payments and additional benefits, such as company pension scheme

Are you interested?

We look forward to receiving your application!
Application Process
Please submit your application (CV/resume and cover letter, answer to our questions) by 15th January 2025 at application@sea-watch.org . Attachments please in a pdf-document. max 5MB.
We are committed to an inclusive society without racism and with freedom of movement for all. In case of equal qualification, we favour applications from women*, LGBTQI*, BIPoC, people with disabilities, people with migration experience and people from other groups underrepresented in the maritime and NGO-world. Should you feel addressed here, we invite you to provide relevant information on this in your application. You are welcome to refrain from providing application photos and information on age and marital status

* From January 1, 2024, we have a new salary model that allows for various supplements to the basic salary and takes into account family needs and personal disability. In addition, the salary increases by 3% with every year of service. In addition, there is the possibility of supplements due to previous relevant professional experience based on internal criteria, a maximum of 5 years can be recognized here, a supplement of 3% per year of previous experience is possible.