The Urban Futures Studio continuously experiments with new ways of bringing science, society and policy together. As Coordinator Communication and Project Support you will be responsible for external communications: the web presence, social media, organizational support around public events, workshops and lectures. 

In this role you will take the lead in selecting the right instruments to achieve the organization communication goals. You are expected to collaborate with the other team members in developing appropriate communication strategies for different audiences (long read, website, blog posts, news letter, magazines, booklets). You are expected to contribute in writing, in particular for the website of the Urban Futures Studio.

Furthermore, you will play an important role supporting the various projects of the Urban Futures Studio. Together with the project leads, you will organize various events, such as public expositions, workshops, field trips, and so on. You will mainly be responsible for the practical side of things, such as making the arrangements and overseeing the workflow of these activities. There will be ample room for your ideas and creativity.

The candidate is expected to have:

• a Bachelor’s degree in Communication, Media, Journalism, Social Sciences, Art or Design, or any other field directly related to the assignment;  
• a pro-active attitude and excellent communication and organizational skills;
• a hands-on mentality;
• proficiency in MS Office, design skills and experience with Adobe Creative Suite are an advantage;
• experience in interdisciplinary work, design thinking and societal challenges is considered an advantage.

You will be offered a part-time position on communication and project support (0.6 FTE, with a possible offer for an extension up to 1.0 FTE), initially for one year. Upon good performance, the contract will be extended up to a maximum of three years.

The gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience  - ranges between €2,514 and €3,358 (scale 8 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.

Utrecht University has a strong commitment to community outreach and contributes to answering the social questions of today and tomorrow. The Faculty of Geosciences of Utrecht University offers a unique environment to study this challenge as it combines knowledge on energy efficiency, economics, energy policy, behavioral sciences, innovation systems, as well as knowledge on (sustainable) urban development.

The Urban Futures Studio
The Urban Futures Studio (UFS) is devoted to the study of positive urban futures and of ways to get there. We investigate what we call ‘Techniques of Futuring’. We are a transdisciplinary institute; we conduct empirical research on existing practices, but also help to initiate experiments. We are convinced that new thinking starts in ‘crossovers’ between distinct disciplines, and in coalitions of new and old agents of change.

Urban 
We live in an urban age. Worldwide, 1.5 million people move to the city each week. Whereas cities are places of innovation and relative wealth, sustaining them according to 20th century principles will result in planetary disaster. Current cities are addicted to fossil fuels and increasingly socially segregated. Facing the challenges of our time, such as global warming and social injustice, requires radical change. Our question: can we make cities better places?

Futures
What we do in the present is profoundly influenced by our expectations of the future. The Urban Futures Studio investigates how this works, illuminating concrete ‘techniques of futuring’ in use. We have an open eye for the politics that influence societal perceptions of the future. We study daring imaginations of alternative futures and connect these imaginations to the urban networks and coalitions that could mobilize them. Our focus: to understand current techniques of futuring, and to enhance the transformative capacities of cities by exploring new techniques of futuring.

Studio
The UFS works at the intersection of science, art and policy. Convinced that new thinking starts in crossovers and ‘soft spaces’, we actively initiate experiments to encourage promising meet-ups. Fascinated by the question what makes actors into agents of change, we do not aspire to find a single ‘best’ transformation. We probe, test and tinker in unusual coalitions to help enhance urban resilience. Our aim: to understand the dynamics of change and expand our repertoire of techniques of futuring.