Are you passionate about sustainable textiles, (micro)plastic pollution and societal engagement?

The SISTEM-NL project is looking for a new colleague who is enthusiastic about research on microplastics in textiles and who is keen on guiding a broad community of citizen scientists in collaborating in this research. We seek someone who is open to doing practical work, organize different project activities, and is willing to work in close communication with the citizen scientists.

What are you going to do?
In this role, you will play a key part in the SISTEM-NL project, focusing on research related to microplastics released from textiles. Your main responsibilities will include:

• Community management for Citizen Scientists: You will actively communicate with a diverse group of citizen scientists, guiding and collaborating with them to ensure their contributions are valuable and that participants remain motivated through a direct link with the university;
• Gather input for and structure weekly progress meetings: You will be responsible for getting updates from the team (statistician, colleagues from the lab, students and external partners) and structuring weekly meetings according to the planning and the updates, ensuring that all participants are aligned and informed about the project's progress and next steps;
• Project planning: Together with the project coordinator, you will keep track of the project timeline and milestones, ensuring that all activities are on schedule and any potential issues are addressed promptly. You also safeguard proper data and folder management;
• Collaboration with researchers and outside partners: You will communicate and collaborate with various researchers within the SISTEM-NL project, facilitating the exchange of ideas and ensuring a cohesive approach to the research goals. You are the first contact point for external communications;
• Lab Work: You will engage in some lab work for measuring microplastic release from washing textiles in a standard washing machine in our laboratories – together with research support staff of the ELD laboratory at IBED – to support our research.

Tasks and responsibilities:

• Community Management for Citizen Scientists: provide guidance, instructions, feedback, … ;
• Facilitate project overview and coordination by gathering progress input from the various SISTEM-NL colleagues and structuring the weekly meetings;
• Act as a first contact point for external partners (researchers, societal actors, industry, press);
• Engage in some lab work alongside research support staff.

What do you have to offer?

• Good communication skills; comfortable interacting with various actors; comfortable with speaking for an audience;
• Motivation for working in an interdisciplinary project with citizen scientists;
• Structured work approach;
• Good data management – folder management skills.

Your experience and profile:

• BSc or MSc in environmental sciences or related field, preferably with some laboratory experience;
• Good communicator in English and Dutch;
• Some affinity with and enthusiasm for scientific research;
• Readiness to participate in inter/transdisciplinary cooperation;
• Comfortable interacting with press, project partners, citizen scientists.

Our offer
We offer a temporary employment contract for 30 hours per week for a period of 12 months. The preferred starting date is 1st September 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter. The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 3.072 to € 4.103 (scale 8). This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile Education/Research Officer 3 is applicable.

The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
• multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
• multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
• 7 weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
• partly paid parental leave;
• the possibility to set up a workplace at home;
• a pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
• the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
• help with registration for housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad.

Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here.

About us
The University of Amsterdam is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 30,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity.

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) is one of eight research institutes of the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam. The research at IBED aims to unravel how ecosystems function in all their complexity, and how they change due to natural processes and human activities. At its core lies an integrated systems approach to study biodiversity, ecosystems and the environment. IBED adopts this systems approach to ecosystems, addressing abiotic and biotic factors, and the interplay between those. The IBED vision includes research encompassing experimental and theoretical approaches at a wide variety of temporal and spatial scales, i.e. from molecules and microorganisms to patterns and processes occurring at the global scale. The University of Amsterdam has excellent high performance computing facilities. Furthermore, IBED has a dedicated computational support team with specialized knowledge of bioinformatics, (geo)database management and scientific programming. IBED also works with non-academic partners to deliver transdisciplinary science for society.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

The SISTEM-NL project investigates the release of synthetic microfibres (a form of microplastics) from textiles during everyday washing of clothing. Textiles are the 4th largest source of microplastics and better understanding the factors influencing microfibre release, as well as studying societal views on textiles as a source of microplastic pollution, is needed to design effective mitigation measures. In SISTEM-NL citizen scientists work together with an interdisciplinary team of scientists from the UvA’s Faculties of Science (FNWI) and of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG) to tackle this sustainability challenge.

Any questions?
Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:

• Lies Jacobs, Assistant Professor ELD, IBED. Coordinator SISTEM-NL. Email: l.h.jacobs@uva.nl

Job application
If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the button below. We accept applications until and including 15 August 2024.

Applications should include the following information (all files besides your CV should be submitted in one single pdf file):

• a detailed CV including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience;
• a letter of motivation;

Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered.

The interviews will be held in the course of end of August.

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritize diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.

No agencies please.