Our Global Development and Social Justice research programme takes a critical approach to policy responses that are formulated to social, economic and political issues.

To further increase the visibility of our research for a wider audience, we have a vacancy for a Research Communication Officer.

The main role of the Research Communication Officer will be to communicate about ISS’ research initiatives to primarily external target groups, making use of various online and offline channels. He/she will support individual researchers and research teams at ISS in making their research activities visible and accessible. In addition to collaborating with ISS researchers, he/she will also collaborate with professional support staff, as well as relevant external parties. 

The Research Communication Officer is embedded in the ISS Marketing & Communications Team and will work closely together with the Knowledge Broker & Research Communications Advisor who is setting the ISS research communication agenda. The work will be part of this agenda and includes the following tasks:

• Providing input for the further development of the research communication strategy and agenda;
• Supporting implementation of diverse elements of the strategy and agenda;
• Independently producing research summaries, articles and press-releases which are accessible and engaging outside of academia;
• Writing and revising web copy for research-related pages;
• Producing content and outputs (such as interviews, research briefs, one-pagers, animations, etc.) for the Research InSightS platform, handling maintenance of the page and providing suggestions for improvement;
• Planning and creating engaging social media posts for research-related content;
• Liaising with the media;
• Contributing to monitoring impact of research-related content on various channels;
• Organizing research-related events;
• Working on and/or commissioning communications products such as flyers, data visualizations and briefing.

We’re looking for an experienced Research Communication Officer with a hands-on mentality. The successful applicant:

• Has a university degree in a relevant discipline (for example economics, social sciences, journalism, science communication and/or communications) with strong affinity with international development;
• Has 4+ years of relevant working experience (preferably in communications for an international organization or university, science communication or journalism);
• Has strong all-round communication skills, in particular writing and editing engaging content for a variety of channels and audiences;
• Understands key messages coming from research and its relevance to different audiences;
• Is able to visualize and summarize complex information into clear, non-specialist language and design for social media posts, infographics, videos, research and policy briefs;
• Has experience with web copy writing for online articles and content creation for various social media channels (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram);
• Has experience working with website content management systems (like Drupal);
• Native or near native English (speaking, reading and writing) and a thorough knowledge of Dutch;
• Is results-oriented, while maintaining an eye for detail and delivering high-quality work;
• Has good organizational and planning skills and is able to work under tight deadlines;
• Has experience with design and video editing software, such as Adobe Creative Suite (Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro);
• Preferably has some experience in event organization;
• Can work independently but is also a great team player.

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

The successful candidate is expected to start in October/November and will be based at ISS in The Hague.

In accordance with the conditions applied at Erasmus University Rotterdam as indicated in the Collective Labour Agreement (CAO NU) of the Dutch universities, the salary is dependent on the candidate’s experience and is set at CAO NU scale 10 /11 depending on experience with a minimum of € 2790 and a maximum of € 5.127 gross per month, on a fulltime basis. In addition, EUR pays an 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year payment of 8.3% and offers excellent secondary benefits.

ISS is committed to building and sustaining a community based on inclusiveness, equity and diversity and believes this will contribute to our mission and vision of being the best institute in our field.  ISS is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from candidates of all genders, ethnicities and nationalities. Given the current composition of the ISS academic staff and priorities relating to staff diversity, the Institute has a preference for applicants originating from the Global South and also encourages applications from minority candidates.

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research. Inspired by the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam, our scientists and students work in close collaboration with internal and external parties to solve global social challenges. Our mission is therefore "Creating positive societal impact". Our academic education is intensive, active and application oriented. Our research increasingly takes place in multidisciplinary teams, which are strongly intertwined with international networks. With our research impact and thanks to the high quality of education, EUR ranks amongst the top European universities. Erasmian values ​​function as our internal compass and make Erasmus University recognizable to the outside world: engaged with society, world citizen, connecting, entrepreneurial and open-minded. 

The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS)

The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) is a leading academic centre for international development studies. While based in The Hague, ISS is part of Erasmus University Rotterdam. ISS was established in 1952 as a post-graduate institute of policy-oriented critical social science and development oriented research. ISS offers a PhD in Development Studies, a 15,5 months MA in Development Studies, a joint MA in Public Policy (Mundus MAPP), a MPA in Governance delivered in Suriname, and several post-graduate Diploma courses.

ISS engages a highly diverse international community of scholars and students from the global south and the north. It brings together people (on average from over 50 different countries), ideas and insights in a multidisciplinary setting which nurtures, fosters and promotes independent thinking. ISS staff, PhD researchers and MA students conduct innovative research on fundamental development problems that exist in different parts of the world. Our strong partnerships with organisations and individuals in developing and developed countries make up a network where we co-create knowledge so that our work remains societally relevant. The wish to contribute to achieving social justice and equity on a global level is key to the ISS philosophy and practice. With its teaching, ISS aims to support its students in becoming critical global citizens, professionals and change agents who are able to make a difference in the world. ISS also acquires and manages externally funded projects for teaching, research and capacity building from a wide range of donors, including NWO, Nuffic and the European Commission.

As a leader in the field of development studies, ISS examines and seeks to find responses to today’s global problems. Issues such as poverty, inequality, migration, conflict and ecology are important in the ISS research agenda.