Application Deadline: 1st of July 2023
Possible start date: 1st of August 2023
Duration: 2+ years,
Job location: Agro Business Park 10, Wageningen
Bruto monthly salary: Starts at €3.510 gross per month (with possible bonuses)
Job type: Project management, Financial administration, Project administration
Fields: financial planning, accounting, implementation tracking
Employer: OpenGeoHub foundation
Company Description
OpenGeoHub foundation is a not-for-profit research foundation with headquarters at the Agro Business Park, Wageningen, the Netherlands. We aim to become world experts in producing global and regional spatial predictions of soil, vegetation and climatic variables. For this, we use high performance computing / optimisation and state-of-the-art machine learning. OpenGeoHub leads the Horizon Europe projects Open-Earth-Monitor (2022–2026); leads production of the environmental data for the AI4SoilHeatlh project (2023–2026) and the Land Carbon Lab project (WRI). We usually publish our video materials on TIB.eu; blog posts on Medium and similar.
We have an active role in various European projects, where we manage the communication and dissemination activities drawing on our decennial experience in organizing and hosting capacity building and networking events to encourage and connect young researchers, and most of all, to create a more inclusive scientific world!
Every year, since 2007, we have organized and hosted the OpenGeoHub Summer School; a five-day event rich in lectures, workshops and social activities to help young researchers improve their programming skills, connect them with peer networks, and to encourage them to make their research more open and reproducible. We aim especially at empowering researchers from under-represented groups (e.g. those from ODA recipient countries and female researchers). We aim therefore to improve our ability to communicate science and to reach out to a broader range of audiences.OpenGeoHub foundation (Dutch & official name: “Stichting OpenGeoHub”) is a not-for-profit research foundation with headquarters in Wageningen (Agro Business Park), the Netherlands. We aim to become a world center for production of maps of the environment (soil, vegetation, biodiversity and climate etc), using the newest Machine learning techniques and high performance computing. Our ultimate goal: supporting a bright future for the planet by providing dynamic data to decision makers to enable data driven decisions to become the norm.
OpenGeoHub has a close working relationship with many world leading organizations, among them: IIASA (Geo-wiki.org), Wageningen University (Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing), ETH (Tom Crowther’s Lab), The Woodwell Climate Research Center, Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry (Biogeochemical Integration Department), Institute for Geoinformatics (ifgi) / University of Muenster, GFZ Helmholtz German Research Centre for Geosciences, and many other organizations.
Our clients / collaborating organizations also include: The Nature Conservancy, UNCCD, World Resources Institute, Conservation International and others.
Job description
OpenGeoHub foundation is looking for a project manager & project coordinator assistant to assist both with the company’s regular financial administration and the (financial and administrative) management of projects, both European and international. The working language is English.
You will be responsible for email communication and oversight of administrative details of various grant-funded projects, managing the flows of information between partners and the coordinating body and assistance preparing reporting materials.
Tools of the trade include: Google Workspace, various open source tools (e.g. Mattermost), ticketing systems (e.g. GitLab, Taiga or similar), ExactOnline, and various EC portals.
Project management activities include:
- Timesheets management (overview per time period, per project, etc);
- Keeping projects on track, monitoring deliverables & milestones are met on time;
- Coordination of meetings & events (reserve the location, send out invitations, registration processes);
- Polite follow up communication (repetitive nice requests for a response);
- Management and registration of calendars (on various portals and with an accountant).
Project coordination assistant activities include:
- Setting up project management systems and implementation plans;
- Tracking and quality-controlling progress of various teams and individuals;
- Pre-processing and visualization of project and scientific data;
- Assisting with preparation of proposals, making contacts to potential funding agencies and clients.
OpenGeoHub also organizes meetings and events (workshops, summer schools) in various European locations depending on project needs. We request you attend these (on company costs) in a supporting role when relevant.
This is a position with a dual appointment. You would spend your time both helping with project coordination, and assisting with financial planning / accounting, depending on the current activities. You would help manage large international projects that gather researchers and groups of world leaders in their fields.
Your profile
Minimum requirements:
- You have a MSc preferably related to administration / project management and/or human resources.
- You have experience and skills to communicate to large scientific groups and help track work progress and moderate negotiations;
- You have affinity/experience with using advanced formulas in Google Sheets.
- You are competent at, and enjoy, entering and checking large sets of tabular data.
- You have a keen eye for detail, and are a good bug checker (or want to become one).
- You are competent at, and enjoy, planning (of calendars, budgets, projects, costs).
- You are comfortable working in cloud-solutions e.g. Google Workspace.
- You are open to learning how to automate processing of tabular data.
- You are fluent in English.
Preferable applicant qualities:
- A background in agriculture or environmental sciences is a plus;
- Previous experience with European Commision organizations/projects is a big plus;
- You have capacity for academic diplomacy (formally communicating and representing OpenGeoHub businesses with Dutch, European and Global institutions);
Note: for non-EU citizens the Dutch Immigration rules from 2022 need to be studied in detail before a work visa application can be requested.
Information and Application
Questions
Questions regarding this position can be directed to Ichsani Wheeler:
email: ichsani.wheeler@opengeohub.org
You can apply for this vacancy using this link. Please prepare in advance a PDF of (1) your CV and (2) a statement of your interest and vision. In the link you will also find a self-assessment based on the minimum requirements for this position.
Our offer
We offer a full-time (38 hours/week) position for initially 2 years, with possible extension, in a stimulating international innovation and research environment with enthusiastic colleagues from a variety of countries.
- Starting salary depends on skill and experience of the applicant. Starts at €3.510 (bruto)/month; monthly bonus is possible;
- A holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, paid monthly;
- Minimum of 29 holidays if in full-time employment, else proportionally;
- Professional and personal development programs;
We strongly encourage a high degree of responsibility and independence within your role, while collaborating with other colleagues when needed. Flexi-hours and occasional remote working is also possible.
