Strategic Research Advisor

Do you want to join us in leading the way in the digitisation of scientific research in the Netherlands? Do you ensure good coordination with our strategic stakeholders? Do you want to work towards a sustainable, publicly funded digital infrastructure? And would you prefer to do this at an organisation where your work is of social value? Do you also enjoy using your networking skills? Then we would like to have a conversation with you!

Where you will work

SURF is the IT cooperative for Dutch educational and research institutions. Together with them, we work on digital services and complex innovation challenges to enhance the quality of education and research.

As a strategic research advisor, you contribute to this by coordinating with various parties at strategic and managerial level. We connect and signal and engage in the conversation about digital infrastructure.

The team you will join

You will work in the Strategic Partnerships team, currently with 5 staff members. This team supervises the collaboration between SURF and strategic partners for strategic and administrative long-term issues. The aim is to ensure that policy and funding of the digital infrastructure for education and research are in order. The team identifies developments within education, research and society that affect SURF and advises management on issues in a political, strategic and/or administrative context.

Those who work at SURF work at a unique and open organization. You notice this in everything: the structure of the organization, the set-up of the project teams, the culture at our offices and the mutual atmosphere. SURF offers excellent terms of employment and takes a flexible approach to work-life balance. We like to work independently. In addition, everyone is given the space and freedom to use and develop talents in the best and broadest way possible.

What you will do

As Strategic Research Advisor, you have sustainable collaborative relationships with strategic partners. You move involved parties to finance sustainable accessibility of digital research facilities and ensure other preconditions. We can also deploy you for complex change and collaboration issues at the intersection of research, education and IT, bringing together political-administrative stakeholders. Internally, you will work closely with SURF's management, administration and financial department.

What else will you do

• You will position SURF in strategic developments in the digitisation of research and create support for this in the research domain. You will work closely with the senior Strategic Advisor Research, the Strategic Advisor Services and the Innovation Manager Research.
• You create and manage sustainable relationships with strategic partners and are in structural dialogue with the sector associations of SURF's members: UNL, NFU and VH.
• You contribute to a long-term perspective on funding for the digital infrastructure for research, together with NWO and the Ministry of OCW.
• You work towards a shared and supported image among funders, members and partners about the design of the digital infrastructure for research in the Netherlands. You demonstrate the role and value of SURF.
• You will develop a vision of the digital infrastructure for research. You do this from a policy perspective and from the strategic needs and interests of partners. You will draw up policy documents and contribute to SURF's strategies.
• You are broadly applicable to other strategic dossiers within SURF.

Your skills and experience

• You have wo working and thinking level, environmental sensitivity and political-strategic insight;
• You are a driven networker and bridge builder, both towards external and internal stakeholders;
• You are a team player: you enjoy working with colleagues from different parts of the organization;
• You are a sharp thinker and you quickly grasp complex issues, make connections and are able to distinguish main and minor issues;
• You have some knowledge of how research, funding streams and knowledge institutions are organized in the Netherlands;
• You are result-oriented and structured; in addition, you have good communication and writing skills.

SURF takes pleasure in doing its recruitment itself; acquisition is therefore not appreciated.