Would you like to enable excellent research by supporting researchers in the fields of social sciences and humanities? Do you believe in the importance of norms and practices to advance ethical and impactful research? Then don’t hesitate to read on and apply!

Erasmus Research Services (ERS) is looking for an Ethics Secretary to provide direct support to faculty Research Ethics Review Committees (RERCs) within humanities and social sciences. You will join ERS -- a young and dynamic department within Professional Services at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) – and work as part of a team of Ethics Secretaries and contribute to developments in ethics review at EUR.

You will perform secretarial, administrative, and organisation-related work for the RERCs, in such a way that the RERCs are provided optimum support in decision-making and implementation of the EUR ethics review policy.

Job description
The RERCs evaluate applications for ethical review submitted by members of the Schools and Institutes. The Ethics Secretary provides support to the RERCs and ensures that the ethics review process runs smoothly. You will act as Secretary of the RERCs at several schools at EUR: ESHPM, ISS, ESHCC, ESPhil, and IHS.

As Secretary, you:

• are the key person in the ethics review process: you check incoming applications, assign them to reviewers, and communicate with researchers on behalf of the RERCs;
• are the first point of contact for researchers, Committee Chairs, and members of the RERCs, the Coordinating Secretary, and the policy officers of the Schools regarding content and process;
• advise researchers on the process and content of their ethics applications;
• closely collaborate with other research support professionals in advising researchers and RERCs;
• organize and support RERC meetings;
• advise RERC members on modifications of existing procedures and regulations to improve processes;
• participate in Ethics Secretary meetings;
• collaborate with the other Ethics Secretaries in EUR-wide projects, including developing training materials, guidelines, and best practices;
• participate in (inter)national networks.

You recognize yourself in the following description: 

• You have an academic background (master’s degree or PhD);
• You have basic knowledge of research methodologies in social sciences, behavioural sciences, or humanities;
• You act with integrity;
• You work accurately and flexibly;
• You effectively and persuasively communicate with people coming from different (academic) backgrounds;
• You have the capacity to learn and reflect and to convince others based on knowledge about content and procedures;
• You are able to work independently as well as in a team;
• You are able to consistently meet deadlines;
• You master English very well (minimum CEFR-level C1).

Desirable (but optional):

• You have experience in supporting, or serving on, a committee;
• You have knowledge of research ethics and/or ethics review processes;
• You have experience with initiating, developing, implementing, and seeing to completion guidelines and projects;
• You can read Dutch well (minimum CEFR-level B1). You are willing to take Dutch courses in case the level of Dutch is not sufficient.

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is April 1st 2024 (or as early as possible) and you will be based at Erasmus Research Services. This position is for 0.8 fte - 1 fte. The salary is dependent on your experience and knowledge and ranges from a minimum of € 3.377 to a maximum of € 4.640 gross per month Scale 9 on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The contract is entered into for the duration of 1 year and can be converted into a permanent contract if performance is good and the organizational circumstances remain unchanged.

Everything else we offer you, you can find below!

• Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!
• Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.
• Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget, foreign exchange opportunities with most costs paid by EUR, and free access to our university library.
• Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.
• Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare.
• Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the 30%-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

Erasmus University Rotterdam

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.

Faculty / Institute / Central service
Erasmus Research Services (ERS) advances excellent research and engagement 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).