We offer a multidisciplinary collaboration of academia, research institutes, industry, health care foundations and regulators to identify, develop, validate and implement highly innovative, advanced in vitro models with high (clinical) predictive value. The Scientific Programme Officer will be employed at the Utrecht University and report to The Advanced In Vitro Models Hub (U-AIM) programme leads.

The Scientific Programme Officer’s task is to connect the community of experts and researchers to stakeholders. The goal is to create a “one-stop shop” where high potential in vitro models are being developed, validated and transitioned to stakeholders. Through a strong cooperation between scientists, students, regulators and industry, U-AIM’s ultimate goal is to reduce animal experimentation and increase market potential of in vitro models. The Scientific Programme Officer is expected to be a fully-fledged dialogue associate for the lead partners. Experience with setting up partnerships and consortia is a must. We are looking for a born networker who seeks connections on the basis of content but is also focused on bringing agreements to an actual conclusion and getting projects started. 

Key tasks

• Creating and maintaining a network for increasing synergy between research efforts across the ULS.
• Exploring opportunities and possibilities for innovative in vitro models, through early identification of models with great market potential.
• Facilitate collaboration between public (regulators, researchers and patient organizations) and private (industrial) partners to identify the potential needs and possibilities, as well as to use drivers and solve barriers for the implementation of new innovations.
• Setting up partnerships in ad hoc consortia to accelerate the development of advanced in vitro models.
• Handling account management for the participating partners and advising involved lab managers on the structure and progress of projects.
• Developing a sustainable business model for the Hub.
• Generation of progress reports, vision documents related to the Hub.

We are looking for someone who is/has:

• intellectual and professional abilities at the academic, postdoctoral level within the Life Sciences;
• affinity with organ-on-chip model development;
• an optimist who thinks in terms of opportunities and possibilities and who is able to establish connections;
• a positive and enthusiastic style of communication, able to inspire and motivate others;
• able to coordinate and monitor complex processes in an effective and productive manner, result and solution-oriented, independent and flexible.

We offer a temporary position (0.8 - 1.0 FTE) for two years. The gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience  - ranges between €3,475 and €4,757 (scale 11 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) gross per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8 % and a year-end bonus of 8.3 % per year. We offer a pension scheme, (partly paid) parental leave, collective insurance schemes and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information is available at: working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The city of Utrecht is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, with a charming old center and an internationally oriented culture that is strongly influenced by its century-old university. Utrecht city has been consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the Netherlands.

The Faculty of Science consists of six Departments: Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information and Computing Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry and Mathematics. The Faculty is home to 5,600 students and nearly 1,500 staff and is internationally renowned for the quality of its research. The Faculty's academic programmes reflect developments in today's society. Read the overall impression 2016 of the Faculty of Science.

The Advanced In Vitro Models Hub assembles excellent researchers from different disciplines and organizations to work on the challenge to reduce animal experimentation by scientific breakthroughs on the implementation of advanced in vitro models within the framework of Utrecht Life Sciences (ULS) and related disciplines. U-AIM complements current strategic partnerships, large (inter-)national research programmes and stimulates productive, long-lasting multidisciplinary collaborations with public and private stakeholders. Through the gain of shared value, societal and economical benefit will be created.

 

U-AIM aims to become a leading center of expertise on identification, development, validation, valorization and implementation of in vitro models for diagnostics, models of disease and models for compound (chemical, pharmaceutical) disposition and safety testing that will serve as alternatives to animal experimentation.

You will be based in the group of Prof. Roos Masereeuw of the Division of Pharmacology at the Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS) of the Science Faculty at Utrecht University. The scientific research at UIPS focuses on processes around discovery, development, and use of drugs and medical nutrition using molecular and technological principles from the Natural and Life Sciences.