We are looking for a general program manager for the Horizon Europe project UNIC4ER within the UNIC European University Alliance.

The European University of Post-Industrial Cities (UNIC, see www.unic.eu ) is an alliance of ten universities in post-industrial cities which all face similar challenges and opportunities in terms of mobility, inclusion and impact. Our UNIC ambition is to develop innovative and sustainable means of university collaboration that boost student and staff mobility while fostering social inclusion and furthering societal impact. The alliance includes: Erasmus University Rotterdam (coordinator), Ruhr University Bochum (Germany), Koc University Istanbul (Turkey), University of Deusto (Bilbao, Spain), University of Zagreb (Croatia), University of Liege (Belgium), Lodz University (Poland), Malmo University (Sweden) and Oulu University (Finland). UNIC4ER aims to develop a collaborative approach and structure for engaged research across these eight universities, and thus add a joint research dimension to UNIC.

With UNIC4ER we have expanded UNIC’s ambition with a focus on European research collaboration around the concept of Engaged Research. UNIC4ER started in September 2022 and is now entering its second year, with an intention for a longer term extension of the program. Our ultimate aim is to develop places in our cities where people meet to co-create the future they want and to change their everyday world for the better, based on research, science and the need to generate inclusive communities, development strategies, policy making and citizen engagement. We will develop a common Alliance wide framework and supportive systems for involving and engaging citizens, civil society and public/cities authorities in research and innovation. The concept ’Engaged Research’ provides an overarching guiding principle to UNIC4ER as an umbrella term that captures research approaches characterized by a common interest in collaborative inquiry with society. This project offers a joint strategy, excellence, structure and platform for engaged research. We believe that developing a research and innovation dimension within UNIC around the notion of engaged research will help achieve our UNIC ambition of shaping universities that can lead post-industrial cities into a future of inclusive and resilient cities, and training the leaders that are to guide our cities into this future.

The general manager of UNIC4ER will be responsible for:

• The coordination of relations between the ten universities in UNIC for developing the research program UNIC4ER (together with the Alliance Coordinator);
• Coordinating the workpackages 1 on Management, communication and dissemination, 6 on Monitoring and evaluating the impact of engaged research, and 7 on Ethics;
• Collaborating with the other UNIC partners in the implementation of the other UNIC4ER work packages;
• Function as a first contact and sparring partner for the eight university UNIC program managers;
• Providing progress reports to the UNIC Board on a regular basis;
• Organizing and coordinating meetings of the UNIC4ER Engaged Research Taskforce;
• Coordinating tasks and relations with the UNIC4ER project manager and the UNIC communication research officer;
• Developing and coordinating the UNIC4ER ethics policy and program;
• Collaborating within the broader UNIC coordination team at Erasmus University Rotterdam;
• Codesigning the future of the UNIC4ER program together with the broader UNIC coordination team.

Your position will be embedded in Erasmus Research Services (ERS). You will report substantively to the scientific coordinator of the UNIC and UNIC4ER project and in line to the head Grant Support Office of ERS.

We are looking for someone with the following qualifications:

• You have experience in managing complex and multistakeholder international education & research projects, with experience in working with relevant EU programmes such as Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 as well as with other EU programmes that can be relevant for UNIC, UNIC4ER and the Erasmus University Rotterdam .
• You have experience with engaged research (such as community based research, participatory methods, co-creation and codesign), either in doing research or in programming research preferably in a social sciences and humanities environment.
• You can build bridges between people with different areas of expertise and motivate them to bring the European agenda in their daily work practices;
• You feel at ease in complex academic working environments and you are a well informed and communicative counterpart for academics, board members and policy staff.
• You are a pro-active, pragmatic and innovative manager. You can translate complex ideas into concrete project ambitions and realize these, also under pressure.
• You master English at C1, C2 level and if non-Dutch you communicate in Dutch at B2 level.

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

An internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with good working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities (cao NU).

The salary is dependent on your experience and knowledge and ranges from a minimum of € 3.974,- to a maximum of € 5.439,- gross per month based on a full-time contract of 38 hours, in accordance with scale 11 of the CAO-NU.

In addition, we offer an 8% holiday allowance, an end-of-year payment of 8.3%, and a very generous paid leave scheme. Furthermore, EUR is affiliated with ABP for the pension provision, and we offer partially paid parental leave, fully paid extended birth leave for partners, a personal career budget, work-life balance coaches, discounted collective health insurance, and more. As an employee, you can also use EUR facilities such as the University library and receive a discount on subscriptions for the Erasmus sports center.

Erasmus University Rotterdam offers a Dual Career Programme (DCP) to assist the life partners of new academic staff (on payroll) in finding employment in The Netherlands. The programme is offered in close cooperation with the nearby universities of Delft and Leiden.

Erasmus University Rotterdam aspires to be an equitable and inclusive community. We nurture an open culture, where everyone is supported to fulfill their full potential. We see inclusivity of talent as the basis of our successes, and the diversity of perspectives and people as a highly valued outcome. EUR provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, functional impairment, citizenship, or any other aspect which makes them unique. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 3.700 academics and professionals and almost 33.000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities. www.eur.nl.

The General Management Directorate (ABD)

The General Management Directorate (Algemene Bestuursdienst, ABD) is the central staff organisation responsible for the organisation and support of EUR’s policy and administra-tion at the institutional level. ABD supports the Executive Board in fulfilling its responsi-bilities with regard to the quality, accessibility and financing of EUR’s education and re-search programmes. ABD handles the joint design of integrated policy, ensures the timely submission of policy within decision-making procedures and the implementation of the adopted policy measures and constantly monitors and evaluates developments in the inter-est of further improvement. ABD comprises the departments of Academic Affairs (AZ) in-cluding D&I Office, Corporate Planning & Control (CPC), Administrative Affairs (BZ), Legal Affairs (JZ) and the Chief Information Office (CIO). The independent university pub-lication Erasmus Magazine also falls under ABD in organisational terms. The management directorate is headed by the Director of the General Management Directorate, who also serves as Secretary of the Executive Board.

Erasmus Research Services (ERS) 
Erasmus Research Services (ERS) advances excellent research and knowledge transfer to maximize positive societal impact. ERS creates conditions for transparent, inclusive, collaborative, and impactful research through strategic and operational expertise. 

We provide pathways for talents to reach their full potential and we advance fruitful collaborations, enabling Erasmus University to be a front runner in embedding excellent research in society. The following areas of support are embedded within ERS: Business Development, Grant Support, Legal Counsels, Open Science, Research Data Management, Ethics Review and Research Intelligence. ERS is a relatively young service department within Erasmus University Rotterdam and is steadily building and extending its service portfolio. ERS provides support to all faculties of Erasmus university Rotterdam (occasionally to Erasmus University Medical Center).