Within the Erasmus School of Social & Behavioral Sciences (ESSB) we strive to conduct high-quality, innovative research and provide excellent and relevant education for the purpose of realizing positive societal impact. Therefore, we are constantly looking for ways to further increase this impact and actually contribute to a better understanding of societal issues and ways to deal with them.  

More and more projects within the Erasmus School of Social & Behavioral Sciences therefore combine classical research methods with action-oriented and co-creation methods. One form of this is working with design methods, user-centered design and design thinking (to find interventions to address complex issues). 

Design as a research method is central to the research of the Erasmus Governance Design Studio and GovLab010 but is also an important feature of many research projects in psychology and pedagogical sciences. With design-oriented research, social issues are deeply dissected and, while iterating, interventions are sought that work. For example, around the question of how to increase participation of unheard youth or how to help citizens make their daily lives more sustainable.  

To take this form further, we want to further professionalize our design methods. We want to better organize and position our existing activities in this area. Therefore, we are looking for a coordinating design researcher. A person with excellent skills in coordinating, networking and organizing, but also with relevant design expertise to advice colleagues. We provide ample opportunities to develop yourself in each of these directions.  

Your tasks and activities: 

• To help shape a sustainable embedding of design-oriented research and education within ESSB (Psychology, Pedagogical Sciences, Public Administration and Sociology); 
• Coordinating and connecting design-oriented research within ESSB;
• To (help) acquire appropriate projects in which design methods are applied;
• Supporting the development of a number of inspiring showcases of design-oriented, interdisciplinary research;
• Facilitating colleagues who wish to apply design methods in their own research projects; 
• Building, strengthening, and maintaining the network between science, design practice and society around doing design-oriented research and research-based design. 
   

Requirements:

• You have extensive experience conducting design-oriented research in the field of social and behavioral sciences;
• You preferably have a PhD in a field of science relevant to the ESSB;
• You have an entrepreneurial attitude, you have experience in acquiring projects and you have organizational talent;
• You have demonstrable connecting qualities and you are focused on cooperation with diverse parties and areas of expertise (internal and external);
• You have a good command of both Dutch and English.

We know we mention quite a lot of requirements. Please do not hesitate to respond to this vacancy when you are enthusiastic but when you think you only partly match with the profile.

An internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with good working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU).

The start date of this position is as soon as possible and you will be based at ESSB/DPAS in Rotterdam, campus Woudestein. The position is for 0.8-1.0 FTE. The salary is dependent on your experience and knowledge and ranges from a minimum of € 3.974 to a maximum of € 5.439 gross per month on a fulltime basis, in accordance with scale 11 of the CAO-NU. In addition, we offer an 8% holiday allowance, an end-of-year payment of 8.3%, and a very generous paid leave scheme. Furthermore, EUR is affiliated with ABP for the pension provision, and we offer partially paid parental leave, fully paid extended birth leave for partners, a personal career budget, work-life balance coaches, discounted collective health insurance, and more. As an employee, you can also use EUR facilities such as the University library and receive a discount on subscriptions for the Erasmus sports center.

Erasmus University Rotterdam offers a Dual Career Programme (DCP) to assist the life partners of new academic staff (on payroll) in finding employment in The Netherlands. The programme is offered in close cooperation with the nearby universities of Delft and Leiden.

Erasmus University Rotterdam aspires to be an equitable and inclusive community. We nurture an open culture, where everyone is supported to fulfill their full potential. We see inclusivity of talent as the basis of our successes, and the diversity of perspectives and people as a highly valued outcome. EUR provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, functional impairment, citizenship, or any other aspect which makes them unique. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)

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 3.700 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.

Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB)

The Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences is home to a vast diversity of scientific disciplines: public administration, pedagogical sciences, psychology and sociology. In addition, the Erasmus University College, IHS, and two research institutes RISBO and DRIFT are linked to the faculty. This also reflects in the content of the (international) bachelor's and master's programs and in research.  Our activities are always focused on people and society. At the ESSB fundamental, internationally oriented research is of paramount importance. In addition, social research for professionals, policy makers, and the society is part of our research activities. ESSB offers a stimulating research environment where major national and international research grants are received. Appealing guest researchers and ambitious PhD candidates come along to conduct their research. Our education is small-scale and works with innovative forms of education such as Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Both the Dutch and English programs are highly ranked by students and alumni. ESSB is home to over 4000 students and more than 400 staff-members. The different disciplines are supported by the Faculty Office (for more information, please visit www.eur.nl/essb).

Department of Public Administration and Sociology (DPAS)

DPAS covers the disciplines of Public Administration and Sociology. Two related scientific fields with different profiles. Public Administration studies governance capacity and policy interventions. It focuses on the institutional power to organize and intervene in the relations between different social, political and economic actors. Public Administration in Rotterdam goes well beyond the public realm itself and pays attention to public-private cooperation and networks of organizations. Sociology investigates the social structure of societies and the way it evolves. Sociologists in Rotterdam focus among other things on processes of globalization and individualization and on the effects of these processes on international social relations, the labor market or family relations. Related social problems that are studied are migration, flexibilization and solidarity. The perspectives of Public Administration and Sociology complement each other. Together they guarantee a highly relevant and scientific approach to topical administrative and social issues. The bachelor- and masterprogrammes of DPAS are build on this profile and educate students to become scientifically schooled professionals.