Product manager Open Science

Do you have an affinity with ICT innovation and its application for Dutch research? Do you have an eye for the ICT needs of researchers and research institutions and do you believe that research and research results should be shared as openly as possible (open science)? Furthermore, are you enterprising and innovative and do you enjoy developing proof of concepts or pilots into sustainable services? Then we would like to talk to you!

Where you will work

SURF is the ICT 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. You will work in the Open Science and Skills Team in the Innovation Department.

The team you will join

The Open Science and Skills team is committed to the transition to open science: we innovate with and for SURF's members. Our goal is for them to make this initiated transition easier and faster. We build and share knowledge in research and research-supporting communities. We innovate from national and international collaborations and we develop new services where necessary. Ambitious, innovative and driven, that characterises our team. We are also open and focused on connecting.

Whoever works at SURF works for a unique and open organisation. You notice it in everything: the structure of the organisation, 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. Employees enjoy working independently. In addition, everyone is given the space and freedom to use and develop their talents in the best and broadest way possible.

What you will do

As Product Manager in the Open Science and Skills team, you are responsible for activities that can lead to new services. You do this within four programmes. To do so, you coordinate strategically, tactically and operationally with various stakeholders at institutions. You write business models, draw up business cases and ensure that the services meet all quality requirements. You show initiative and entrepreneurship and you safeguard public values. You facilitate the training of data, software and open science professionals. You also participate in or lead projects that promote FAIR data or reproducibility of research.

What else you will be working on

• You manage and monitor:
  • The project teams working on product development;
  • Finance and planning;
  • Synergy between different services and projects within SURF;
  • Synergy and collaboration opportunities with partners inside and outside SURF;
  • Visibility of the results and impact of products and projects;
• With SURF's lifecycle and portfolio management process in mind, you take all the necessary steps to realise services. To do so, you follow the established process.
• You cooperate intensively with fellow product managers, technical product managers, project leaders, domain specialists and researchers from various research institutes.
• You maintain contacts in networks of data stewards, software engineers and open science supporters.

Your skills and experience

• You have hbo+/academic working and thinking level;
• You have entrepreneurship and show initiative;
• You have experience (4-6 years) in delivering ict-related services to organisations, (preferably research institutions). You have translated wishes and needs of users into new functionalities and/or concrete actions;
• You have experience in project and/or product management and in managing professionals;
• You have analytical skills, excellent communication skills;
• You have and keep an overview of a complex playing field and you have a feeling for political relations;
• You act environmentally aware, have a result-oriented approach and an excellent command of the English language.

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