Programme Manager UNIC alliance EUR

One of EURs strategic missions is UNIC, the European University of Cities in Post-Industrial Transition. This is a strategic, European funded alliance of ten European urban universities, dedicated to advancing inclusive education, research, and societal engagement. The alliance addresses the complex challenges facing post-industrial cities—such as urban transformation, migration, and social inequality—through transnational collaboration. UNIC aims to develop innovative and sustainable approaches to mobility, teaching, and the integration of universities within their urban environments.
Next to being 1 of the 10 partners, EUR is also coordinator of the UNIC Alliance. EUR houses UNIC Head Quarters (HQ) which is managed by dr Gwen de Bruin (Coordinator UNIC at EUR), and supervised by the Alliance Coordinator prof Semiha Denktaş.

Job description
As part of UNIC HQ, you will lead the programme management of the UNIC European University Alliance, ensuring cohesive and effective collaboration across all partner institutions. You will be responsible for managing and steering the delivery of the alliance's work packages, providing clear direction and oversight to work package leads to ensure alignment with the alliance's objectives, by:

Planning, monitoring and evaluation

• Monitor, coordinate and regulate UNICs strategic roadmap, ensuring delivery milestones are met across all components.
• Maintain and refine UNICs programme management structure (including quality assurance, ethics, risk, and compliance frameworks).
• Lead the monitoring, evaluation and reporting protocols (support and/or lead the preparation of progress reports etc), oversee the implementation of data management, all in line with Erasmus+ requirements.

Partnership management

• Prepare, coordinate, and support the organization of consortium meetings, as well as conferences.
• In coordination and agreement with the Alliance Coordinator and Coordinator UNIC at EUR, act as liaison, and cultivate and manage relationships between (senior) stakeholders of Erasmus University and the nine European UNIC partner universities.
• When applicable, represent the UNIC alliance in key internal and external meetings, including Alliance events and high level EU meetings (in coordination with EU liaison).

Budget & Financial Oversight

• Manage the multi-year, multi-partner programme budget in coordination with financial officers and project controllers.
• Monitor financial performance and spending across work packages, ensuring compliance with funding regulations and partner obligations.
• Prepare and contribute to financial reports and audits for internal and external stakeholders.

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field such as Public Administration, International Relations, Higher Education Management or Project Management; A PhD or equivalent academic experience is a plus.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of proven experience in managing complex, multi-stakeholder international projects or programmes, preferably within EU-funded frameworks such as Erasmus+, experience with European University Alliances is a plus.
• Experience with EU funding mechanisms, compliance requirements, and reporting (especially Erasmus+/European Universities).
• Excellent command of English (C1/C2 level); command of Dutch or willingness to learn is an asset.
• High level of digital literacy.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Strong ability to manage complex, multi-partner programmes, including coordination of deliverables, timelines, budgets, and reporting in line with EU regulations.
• Skilled in aligning strategic objectives across diverse workstreams while performing under pressure and managing international logistics.
• Proficient in programme evaluation, impact assessment, and data management, with knowledge of Erasmus+ methodologies and frameworks.
• Excellent intercultural communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with experience representing organisations in high-level and EU policy contexts.
• Effective in planning and coordinating international events and meetings, with flexibility and willingness to travel as needed.
• Proactive, collaborative, and innovation-oriented team player, committed to the values of UNIC and Erasmus University Rotterdam.

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 01-SEP-2025 and you will be based at Campus Woudestein in the Strategy Office. This position is for 0.8 fte - 1 fte. The salary is dependent on your experience and knowledge and ranges from a minimum of € 6.286 to a maximum of € 7.651 gross per month Scale 13 on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. Due to the project financing, the contract is offered for a period of 1 year and can be extended untill the end of the project, if suitability is proven and if (financial and/or organizational) circumstances remain the same.

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 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 (daycare not paid for by EUR).
• 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 (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 4.100 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
The Strategy Office at Erasmus University Rotterdam plays a pivotal role in guiding the university's transition towards becoming a more impact-driven institution. The Strategy Office collaborates closely with various departments, faculties, and support services. It fosters a cohesive approach to achieving the university's mission, and thus contributes to EUR's commitment to societal impact and academic excellence.

The UNIC Head Quarter team is diverse on several dimensions, has an informal culture with open lines of communication among the team members. The team is passionate about the future of education in Europe, and has a can-do and collaborative attitude.