We are looking for a new staff member to join the small team of the Dutch Thematic Digital Competence Centre for the Natural and Engineering Sciences (TDCC-NES). The TDCC-NES is building a network across the Dutch academic community to formulate and fund projects designed to promote FAIR data, research software sustainability, and open research practices, alongside the necessary expertise. The staff member will help drive forward projects that contribute to reproducible and open science.

In this position you will work closely with the TDCC-NES Community Coordinator and with experts from different disciplines and with different roles across research in the natural and engineering sciences. These might include software engineers, data stewards, data managers, IT support staff, as well as professors, senior and junior researchers, postdocs, or PhD candidates, all from various research institutions in the Netherlands.

The Project Facilitator will:

• Meet with project groups and participate in events (which might require occasional work outside your regular working hours) to guide groups during the process of developing a project idea and building an effective project team, using tools and methods to drive groups towards concrete results in a predefined period of time;
• Understand the potential impact a project might have on the landscape, and the collaboration potential it might offer, proactively seeking out and identifying useful information, people, or connections (some of which might be international) that might maximize the success of the projects and the impact of their outputs, and advising the project groups accordingly;
• Help project teams during the funding application process: helping the project team to identify realistic outputs, structure work packages, draw up a formal TDCC project proposal, and make revisions to the project plan based on feedback from the review committee(s);
• Give administrative support to project leads during the start-up phase once a project is funded and periodically ensure that projects are on track and that communication of progress and formal reporting is going smoothly;
• Work with the Community Coordinator and the Network Manager to provide summary information to the Governing Board concerning the development of project ideas, progress of projects, and project team feedback, including highlighting any challenges that slow down or prevent progress.

As you will be working in a small team, you may be asked to provide support during other activities or in another role as and when required. These might include, for example, helping to facilitate a workshop, support for Governing Board meetings, writing blog posts, or presentation of the TDCC activities at (inter)national events or workshops.

This is a part-time position offered for one year. It might provide an ideal opportunity for secondment for someone already working in the TDCC network with connections to potential project participants. The role would provide experience and insight into project development and project management within the area of Open Science.

The TDCC-NES office was established in 2022 and is funded by NWO for 10 years. It is hosted as part of the 4TU.ResearchData team at TU Delft Library, and you will interact with other staff members from 4TU.ResearchData and the Library. There are currently two full-time staff in the core team, and you will work closely with both, particularly the Community Coordinator, to fulfil the tasks listed above. The TDCC-NES is expected to expand in future.

Essentials:

• A good understanding of what is meant by FAIR data and sustainable research software and what is needed to deliver projects connected to these topics;
• Relevant experience, preferably in academia, in a role that connects and supports various stakeholders, for example, community management or project coordination;
• Demonstrable organizational skills, especially with respect to documentation, meeting arrangements, and communication tools;
• Understanding of academic and of research support communities and practices;
• The ability to work collaboratively in a small team, and to coach and support others;
• Energy and enthusiasm to be self-managing, able to take initiatives, juggle priorities, and adapt to different teams, topics, and requirements;
• An excellent command of spoken and written English, as you will be working with an international community.

Nice to have:

• Experience of having worked in scientific research or in a role close to research;
• Interest in developing your knowledge and skills concerning FAIR data and sustainable research software;
• An academic qualification in a discipline within the natural or engineering sciences domain;
• Experience of project-based work in a national or international environment;
• Knowledge of the Dutch language.

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

• Duration of contract is 1 year. 
• A job of 16-20 hours per week.
• A salary based on scale 11 of the CAO for Dutch Universities with a minimum of €4,332 and a maximum of €5,929  gross per month based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP.
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year.
• Discount with health insurers.
• Flexible working week.
• Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget.
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses.
• Partially paid parental leave
• Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

University Corporate Office - TU Delft Library

TU Delft Library is the largest technical-scientific library in the Netherlands, a physical and virtual meeting place. The Library helps to find valuable knowledge needed for education and research, and to publish and store the knowledge generated at TU Delft. We believe it is important that knowledge is easily accessible and freely available to everyone. In this way, knowledge can flow freely and TU Delft's knowledge can become valuable to others. The Library is also a place where everyone can study in peace and quiet. This fits in with our inclusive organisation. The Library has chosen three strategic themes to guide its daily activities. 1) Open Science. We make an important contribution to TU Delft's broad strategic programme "Open Science - Research and Education in the Open Era". 2) Visibility and impact. With our expertise and tools in the field of research data management, research intelligence and publishing, we increase the findability, visibility and impact of TU Delft knowledge. 3) Inspiring learning and working environment. Through stimulating programming, we show how freely available and reliable knowledge makes life richer. This makes the Library a place where you can find new ideas and insights.

https://www.tudelft.nl/en/library/