LANDac is looking for an enthusiastic, goal-oriented Project Manager who has affinity with the field of land governance and development, and is committed to making knowledge management work for more effective policy implementation, innovation and upscaling. The Project Manager coordinates the Knowledge Management programme of Land-at-Scale, the land governance programme of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs that will run from 2021-2025. The Knowledge Management programme organises linking, learning and knowledge generation with and between a large range of implementing partners and the LANDac partnership. The Project Manager will be part of the LANDac Office, based at Utrecht University, Faculty of Geosciences. An enthusiastic and effective Project Manager is key to the success of the LAND-at-scale Knowledge Management programme. S/he will support the various work packages and act as the main point of contact between the stakeholders involved.

The Project Manager:

• is responsible for overall coordination, and supports coherence and progress of the Knowledge Management programme;
• is responsible for programme management of the KM programme (including budget management);
• serves as the link between the LANDac Office, consortium partners, RVO, and LAND-at-scale projects; and acts as the Secretary of the Working Committee that steers KM activities;
• promotes feedback and learning across projects and programme components;
• contributes significantly to knowledge sharing, publication and capacity building components of the Knowledge Management Programme;
• is responsible for overall communication management.

We are looking for an enthusiastic Project Manager who:

• has a keen interest in international land governance, and a proven ability to participate in substantive debates about land governance issues at an academic level;
• holds (at least) a Master's degree in a relevant academic field;
• has proven experience of at least five years with management of complex projects involving partners with different backgrounds;
• has strong communications skills;
• is able to handle website maintenance and social media;
• is a team player;
• is able to handle financial and administrative management;
• is available at short notice.

The Project Manager of the Knowledge Management programme will be working on a daily basis in a small team (two Co-Chairs, a Coordinator and Researcher in the LANDac office). The job will start at distance, but when it is possible again, the Project Manager will be expected to regularly visit the LANDac office at Utrecht Science Park. 

We offer a non-renewable fixed-term employment contract (1.0 FTE) until the end of the project (May 2025), with a probationary period of two months. The gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience  - ranges between €3,746 and €5,127 (scale 11 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% per year. In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information about working at Utrecht University can be found here.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

Utrecht University's Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth's core to its surface, including man's spatial and material utilisation of the Earth - always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

LANDac is a partnership between Dutch organisations and their Southern partners working on land governance for equitable and sustainable development, and is based at Utrecht University's Faculty of Geosciences. LANDac was formed in 2010 to close the gap between research and policy in the field of land rights. Since then, the LANDac partnership, consisting of a range of knowledge institutes, practitioners and governmental actors, has been committed to developing a land governance agenda that centres on producing equitable and sustainable outcomes in view of growing pressures on land worldwide.

Recently, LANDac has assumed responsibility for the Knowledge Management component of LAND-at-scale, a support programme for improving land governance in developing countries that is funded by The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency). A large part of the world’s population depends on having secure access to land for their livelihoods. LAND-at-scale aims at contributing to fair and just tenure security, access to land and natural resources for all, and in this way help to realise many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).