After studying Mechanical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology, Bas spent several years working as an R&D engineer in the offshore wind industry. In 2025, he decided it was time for a new challenge and started looking for a new employer. When he explored ICT Group’s website, everything seemed to click.
“I wanted to grow in a broader sense and thought they seem to do everything here. There are many different domains, systems and roles, which really appealed to me.”
Bas applied for a vacancy, even though he knew his background did not fully match the role. Still, he was invited for an interview, as ICT Group values motivated people like him. The conversation was positive, with a clear intention to explore whether there was a good match. That turned out to be the case. Just one month after applying, Bas was hired. On 1 September 2025, he joined ICT Group’s Water, Infrastructure and Energy division.
Critical infrastructure
Bas started with three days of onboarding. “I met many colleagues and took part in activities together. It felt like a very warm welcome.” After a short settling-in period, he began his first project at Rijkswaterstaat. “I started with data preparation. Within two months, I had automated everything.” Not long after, he moved on to what he enjoys most, developing software. “Actually building solutions is exactly what I was looking for when I joined ICT Group.”
“Actually building things. That’s exactly what I wanted when I joined ICT Group.”
Within the Water, Infrastructure and Energy division, engineers translate functional requirements into control logic, configure networks and field equipment, analyse process data and test installations during on-site commissioning.
As a PLC and SCADA software engineer, Bas helps ensure that critical infrastructure operates safely and reliably. “We develop and maintain PLC control systems for bridges, locks, pumping stations and tunnels. We program industrial controllers and build SCADA and HMI environments where operators can monitor water levels, traffic flows and system faults in real time and intervene when needed,” he explains. “If there is a malfunction, we can pinpoint exactly which motor, barrier or component is causing it. There is a lot of technology behind it and every system is different. That is what makes the work challenging.”
Getting stuck in
The work of Bas and his colleagues results in software that is largely invisible but essential. It keeps the Netherlands dry, ensures bridges operate safely and keeps tunnels available day and night.
Bas describes himself as driven, sometimes perhaps a bit too much. “When I am given a task, I get on with it straight away. I just dive in. But sometimes it is good to take a step back and look at things from a distance, and I do not always do that,” he says with a laugh. At the same time, that mindset helps him move forward.
“A new technology immediately sparks my interest. I dive into it with enthusiasm. With AI, I instantly think about what it could mean for our work and how we can use it in a practical way.”
Endless possibilities
“I would love to work on smarter control systems for bridges, locks and tunnels within our division,” Bas says. “That sense of exploring and improving things really appeals to me.”
For graduates and IT professionals considering a career move, he has a clear message. “Know your value. You are capable of more than you think. Ask yourself where you want to go and what you want to learn. At ICT Group, there are many opportunities, but you do have to take the initiative yourself. If you do, you will feel completely at home here.”
Ask yourself where you want to go and what you want to learn. At ICT Group, there are many opportunities, but you do have to take the initiative yourself. If you do, you will feel completely at home here.”
Hear from colleagues
Are you curious about what we are working on, how we do it and with whom? Read about it in our stories and projects.
