WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR AN IT PROFILE.

De Lijn

De Lijn is one of the most visible companies in Flanders. As a public transport company, we ensure the mobility of school children, employees, and people going out, 365 days a year. In addition to providing a sustainable alternative to cars, as a company we also focus strongly on the environment and climate.

The Electric Bus Systems (EBS) program concretizes the mission, vision, and objectives regarding the phased introduction of zero-emission driving in Flanders through the greening and rejuvenation of the fleet.

To green its fleet, De Lijn is fully introducing electric buses into its network.

Within the e-bus program, De Lijn is looking for a Technical Expert Network Optimization and Energy Management.

As Technical Expert Network Optimization and Energy Management, you are responsible for monitoring and optimizing the performance and energy costs of the entire electric charging infrastructure of a public transport company with 2,500 vehicles.

You oversee the operation of 2,500 charging points spread over 50 depots and actively work on energy efficiency, reliability, and innovative solutions such as alternative energy sources and second life batteries. You document processes and transfer them to the standing organization.

Core Responsibilities

1. Performance Management Charging Infrastructure

2. Monitoring the performance of the entire E2E charging network (from grid connection to charging station).

3. Identifying deviations, technical bottlenecks, and suboptimal performance at component or system level.

4. Reporting of KPIs (availability, failure rates, charging duration, power peaks, etc.).

5. Reporting & Improvement Initiatives

6. Preparing regular performance and energy consumption reports.

7. Based on data analysis, formulating proposals for technical and operational optimizations.

8. Coordination with maintenance, IT, and operations for implementation of improvement measures.

9. Energy Management and Cost Control

10. Analyzing charging data, energy tariffs, and consumption profiles.

11. Optimizing charging schedules based on energy tariffs (smart charging, peak avoidance).

12. Supporting energy budgeting, cost tracking, and savings targets.

13. Threshold Monitoring and Risk Management

14. Setting and monitoring critical thresholds (e.g. temperatures, power limits, grid load) at subcomponent level.

15. Developing early warning indicators for failing components or overload.

16. Configuration According to Charging Policy

17. Configuring the charging infrastructure so that it operates according to:

    • Technical charging policies regarding battery conservation

    • Operational needs of the fleet (range, departure times)

    • Maximum permissible load on the infrastructure

    • Energy price fluctuations: you actively monitor whether the charging processes continue to follow these guidelines and adjust where necessary.

18. Innovation and Alternative Energy

19. Exploring and analyzing the applicability of alternative energy solutions (such as PV installations, battery storage, second life batteries).

20. Evaluation of business cases and technical feasibility in cooperation with suppliers and internal experts.

21. Process Definition and Handover

22. Defining, documenting, and standardizing processes around energy management, grid management, and performance monitoring.

23. Preparing handover to the operational organization, including training, instructions, and dashboards.

Additional Job Information

The indicated number of man-days is an estimate to the best of our ability. This number may differ in reality depending on the changing needs of De Lijn and does not constitute a commitment. The work will be carried out for the benefit of De Lijn, with operating headquarters in Mechelen.

The assignment will mainly be carried out at the offices of De Lijn, Motstraat 20, 2800 Mechelen.

The maximum number of billable hours per month is the number of working days in that month x 8.

We expect the day rate to be an all-in rate, with regular travel to depots throughout Flanders included.

In the context of go-live moments, it may be requested to work outside normal working hours and/or to be on standby to a limited extent outside normal working hours.

Additional work without prior approval will not be compensated.

The assignment is extendable and indexable according to the framework contract.

De Lijn has a well-founded preventive Alcohol, Drugs, and Medication (ADM) policy, with regular and unannounced checks, which are also applied to contractors in accordance with the Policy ADM. If a contractor tests positive during an alcohol or drugs check, the subcontractor commits to immediately replace them with an appropriate substitute.