This challenging and inspiring 36-month Postdoc position is related to the overarching Horizon Europe project, RECHARGE, which concerns itself with the sustainable financing of cultural heritage institutions (CHIs) and accessibility to cultural heritage (CH) in a post-Covid Europe, drives this project to answer: How do we use participation as a driving force for CH business models for CHIs in Europe? The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of social values and culture in connecting people in times of global crisis. It has also revealed the huge power CHIs have to reach communities through new avenues of engagement. CHIs create social, cultural and economic value by enabling participation and co-creation. But the major challenge is in capitalising on this value by integrating it into the organization. Participatory management - conceived to support the development of strategies, the coordination of activities or the innovation of new services - provides a framework to formalise engagement and to capture social, cultural and economic value. In this European funded project, RECHARGE, CHIs engage their stakeholders in participatory management by co-creating sustainable business models that overcome the endemic funding limitations of cultural institutions and make CH accessible. Cultural heritage is conceived as a common good, sustained by civic participation around the multifaceted European cultural heritage and identity, as expressed in the FARO Convention 2005. Participation is at the core of cultural heritage. RECHARGE activates new and existing communities, networks and relationships around CHIs to engage in participatory management through CH Living Labs. These labs will test and devise innovative ways to harness resources fostering value creation and integration to ensure sustainable future business models. The ambition of the project is to offer a robust process and proven methodology for replicable sustainable participatory business models that facilitate participatory organizations.

Job description:

The Postdoc will focus on a literature review of participatory management models and research on understanding participation motivations, the value of participation, and the typology of sustainable enhancing and participatory practices in the cultural heritage sector. The Postdoc will also engage in data analysis, collaboration with Living Labs and the development of data gathering tools, conducting and developing resilience measurements, and analysing the viability and value creation capacity of product co-creation. Finally, the postdoc will contribute to reports on participatory business models and support the dissemination and scientific publication of the project’s results.

Based on these activities the following daily activities and tasks are to be expected for the position:

• Gather data and conduct analysis using quantitative and qualitative methods;
• Design and monitor implementation of participatory business models;
• Documentation of stakeholder process of participation, including citizens, corporate, cultural heritage institutions, and policy makers;
• Presentation of preliminary and final results within consortium and at international meetings;
• Engagement with the cultural heritage sector.

The successful candidate will have the following core responsibilities throughout the duration of the project:

• Creation and analysis of a comprehensive list of relevant documents, including academic literature, policy documents, and project descriptions regarding cultural heritage financing models and participatory practices;
• Development of data gathering tools and analysis to capture value creation, participation, and social network formation, resulting in a proposed set of indicators;
• Project management, communication and organizational ownership;
• Publication of at least 2 academic papers in international journals with team members.

The successful applicant is expected to have:

• Qualitative and Quantitative research and analysis skills;
• Understanding of and connection to the cultural heritage sector;
• Knowledge of ‘new museum’ concept, engaging in co-creation as a form of participation is preferred;
• Demonstrable awareness of different business model approaches;
• Openness and eagerness for innovative uses of digital technology;
• Ability to largely work on-site;
• Excellent proficiency in spoken and written English (C1 CEFR), and good command of spoken and written Dutch (or the willingness to acquire B2 level within two years).

The successful candidate is preferred to have:

• Ample experience in using digital tools for data gathering;
• Affinity with digital-based heritage services, such as memberships or crowdsourcing;
• Strong communication and organizational skills and the ability to co-operate with others and perform well within an international and diverse team, preferably with an independent entrepreneurial approach to problem solving.

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 1 October and you will be based at the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication in Rotterdam. The position is for 0.75 FTE. The salary is dependent on your experience and knowledge and ranges from a minimum of € 3.821 to a maximum of € 4.348 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 School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC)

The Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC) is part of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. The faculty provides education and conducts research in the fields of  HistoryOpent extern , Cultural StudiesOpent extern and Media & CommunicationOpent extern. The ESHCC offers high-quality education, based on scientific research, at the intersection of the Humanities and Social Sciences. We educate our ambitious, Dutch and international students in a stimulating learning environment. After graduating, they have acquired the knowledge, insight and skills to make an important and inspiring contribution to a society that is becoming increasingly international and in which diversity plays a major role.