We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic project officer with a good understanding of social science and development studies research projects. You will join the Project and Research Support team and support the project leads in making their projects a success. The position requires you to collaborate closely with (international) partners from academia and beyond. Within the faculty, you will be working with a variety of experts on topics such as project control, research ethics, data management, open access publishing, communication, recruitment, and contract management.

You need to be client-centred, able to deal with a diverse range of tasks and stakeholders effectively and efficiently and, at times, be able to work under pressure. Some international travel is expected.

On a day-to-day basis, your tasks include:

• Keeping track of progress of the projects in your portfolio;
• Initiating, preparing and organizing project kick-off and regular monitoring meetings;
• Supporting academic personnel in ethics and data management compliance;
• Managing internal database entries for projects in your portfolio and actively participating in internal service improvement projects;
• Actively supporting external communication and dissemination of project activities;
• Budget monitoring of the projects in your portfolio, working closely together with the project controllers;
• Managing periodic reporting to funders and joining in the writing of technical reports for funders;
• Prepare project related contracts and work closely with HR and legal counsel on finalising them;
• Contributing to pre-award activities and proposal writing, therefore experience with proposal development will be considered an advantage.

As project officer you:

• Are educated to Master’s level in the social sciences or in a related academic field, or higher vocational education with several years of relevant working experience;
• Have an affinity with international development, global studies, public administration, international/EU relations;
• Are experienced with managing funded projects and are preferably familiar with funding frameworks like NWO, NUFFIC or other (inter)national funders;
• Have a collaborative and service-oriented attitude and can easily connect with scientists and grant agencies, as well as with business and societal partners;
• Have experience with working in an international setting, preferably with Africa, Asia or Latin America;
• Have strong intercultural communication skills;
• Have excellent organizational capabilities and you can control several projects and/or deadlines at the same time;
• Are prepared to work flexibly (especially around strict deadlines) and travel abroad occasionally;
• Have excellent communication skills (written and oral) in English and a good command of Dutch.

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

The successful candidate is expected to start as soon as possible and will be based at ISS in The Hague. A part-time or full-time, one-year contract with Erasmus University Rotterdam will be offered. The contract can be extended for an additional period of 3-years in case of a positive assessment.

In accordance with the conditions applied at Erasmus University Rotterdam as indicated in the Collective Labour Agreement (CAO NU) of the Dutch universities, the salary is dependent on the candidate’s experience and is set at CAO NU scale 10 with a minimum of  € 2.790,- and a maximum of € 4.402,- gross per month, on a fulltime basis. In addition, EUR pays an 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year payment of 8.3% and offers excellent secondary benefits.

The International Institute of Social Studies is committed to building and sustaining a community based on inclusiveness, equity and diversity and believes this will contribute to our mission and vision of being the best institute in our field. ISS is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from candidates of all genders, ethnicities and nationalities.

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research. Inspired by the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam, our scientists and students work in close collaboration with internal and external parties to solve global social challenges. Our mission is therefore "Creating positive societal impact". Our academic education is intensive, active and application oriented. Our research increasingly takes place in multidisciplinary teams, which are strongly intertwined with international networks. With our research impact and thanks to the high quality of education, EUR ranks amongst the top European universities. Erasmian values ​​function as our internal compass and make Erasmus University recognizable to the outside world: engaged with society, world citizen, connecting, entrepreneurial and open-minded. 

The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS)

The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS)Opent extern is a leading academic centre for international development studies. While based in The Hague, the ISS is part of Erasmus University Rotterdam. ISS was established in 1952 as a post-graduate institute of policy-oriented critical social science and development-oriented research. ISS offers a PhD in Development Studies, a 15,5 months MA in Development Studies, a joint MA in Public Policy (Mundus MAPP), a MPA in Governance delivered in Suriname, and several post-graduate Diploma courses.

ISS brings together a highly diverse international community of scholars and students from both the global South and the global North, usually originating from over 50 different countries. The Institute brings together people, ideas and insights in a multi-disciplinary setting which nurtures, fosters and promotes critical thinking and conducts innovative research into fundamental social problems. The strong partnerships with organizations and individuals in developing countries make up a network where we co-create knowledge so that teaching and research remain socially relevant. Key to the ISS philosophy and practices is the wish to contribute to achieving social justice and equity on a global level.