The main role of the Coordinator is to manage the everyday operations of a team of project officers supporting externally funded research and capacity-building projects at ISS as well as directly managing a portfolio of your own projects. The Project Officers and Project Controller form a small team supporting the management and administration of (international) research or capacity-building projects. As Coordinator you will ensure that the processes of the ‘post-award’ phase run efficiently, liaising closely with the finance team and legal advisor (who is also one of the project officers). In effect this means from the moment project financing is secured your team takes over the management of the contracting, implementation and reporting processes.  This includes supporting all aspects of project administration and management and for maintaining good contacts with both internal and external stakeholders. As it is a small team, at times project officers may be required to support the pre-award phase of applying for funding. Therefore you will also liaise closely with eth funding officer to ensure that workload can be spread when necessary. As the coordinator and a central point of contact for your own portfolio of projects, 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.

Key responsibilities

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Line manage, coordinate and act as first point of contact for the everyday operations of a team of project officers managing the administration of ‘post-award’ research and capacity building projects
• Review and where necessary revise internal procedures and processes to increase the efficiency of how project administration is managed, liaising closely with finance and legal colleagues
• Coordinate internal initiatives to improve project administration including contributing to newsletters, webpages, funding databases, internal guidelines etc.
• Translate changes in policy into practice, in consultation with Journey Leader Research
• Identify training needs of the team.
• As a project officer, support Academic Staff members with setting up and managing (research and capacity building) projects
• Liaise with stakeholders, including academic staff, partner and donor organizations;
• Provide support to ISS policy development on externally financed projects

• Master’s degree in the social sciences or in a related academic field, or higher vocational education with several years of relevant working experience;
• Demonstrated affinity with international development, global studies, public administration, international/EU relations and/or communications;
• At least 5 years’ experience with project management and administration including managing projects / programs in complex settings, e.g. managing projects with (large) number of partners / with different interests
• At least 5 years’ experience of coordinating or managing a team
• Experience with working in an international setting: preferably with Africa, Asia or Latin America;
• Knowledge of NWO and / or European research funding (Horizon 2020)
• Good organizational and time-management skills, and stress-resistant;
• Good command of the English and Dutch language;
• Strong intercultural communication skills;
• Good knowledge of MS Office programs;
• Able to work well both independently as well as in a team.

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 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 11 with a minimum of  € 3.637,- and a maximum of € 4.978,- 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)

The Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), named after Rotterdam-born humanist and theologian Erasmus, is a research university with a strong international orientation and a pronounced social focus, both in its education and research activities. The expertise of Erasmus University Rotterdam is concentrated on the disciplines Economics, Medicine and Health Sciences, Law, Social Sciences, History and Arts, Business Administration, Philosophy and Development Studies. In addition to the initial degree programmes and scientific research, the University offers specific postgraduate study programmes and courses. Erasmus University has around 25,000 students and approximately 2,800 staff members of more than 100 nationalities.

The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS)

The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) 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 make a contribution to achieving social justice and equity on a global level.