The European Polar Board (EPB) is an independent organisation that focuses on major strategic priorities in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Current EPB membership includes research institutes, funding agencies, scientific academies, and polar operators from across Europe. Since 2015, the EPB Secretariat is hosted by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) in The Hague. The EPB has public benefit organisation status in The Netherlands. The working language of the EPB is English. The EPB has a mission to improve European coordination of Arctic and Antarctic research by optimising the use of European research infrastructure. We promote multilateral collaborations between our Members and provide a single contact point for the global polar research community. We advance the collective knowledge of polar issues, particularly in the context of European societal relevance.

The EPB will be working towards both an internal and external organisational performance assessment in the coming 3 years, as part of its current strategy. The upcoming assessment will include the internal review, analysis and reporting of the EPB’s scope, organisation and performance set up under key performance indicators (KPIs) identified by the Internal Review Committee chaired by Professor Antonio Quesada, MINECO, Spain.

The EPB Project Officer will work in support of the EPB’s internal and external review process, actions relating to projects, communications activities and website management, support for EPB meetings, finance and administration, and other duties as required in the small Secretariat.

Duties

EPB review:  Expertise in qualitative and quantitative analysis of survey data,collating information to support the EPB’s internal and external review processes working with the Executive Secretary and review committees;

Projects:  Support the EPB’s work with various EU-funded projects, including work on polar infrastructure access, policy events, communications and capacity building activities;

Finances and administration:  Working with the Executive Secretary to manage EPB financial accounting and administration, in liaison with external accountants;

Other:  Any general administrative tasks, assist with EPB Plenary and Action Group meetings,  or any other tasks as required in a small Secretariat.

Requirements

• Education: Master’s degree in a field relevant to polar research  (including from natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, law, humanities, etc.); Candidates with knowledge of social sciences as well as natural sciences are encouraged to apply. PhD in a field relevant to polar research is desirable;
• Experience of developing surveys and analysing results including qualitative methods and analyses;
• Knowledge of European and international polar research, logistics, governance, projects and organisations;
• Some experience of organising meetings and workshops, and drafting formal meeting documents and reports, experience with both formal and informal communication, in person and online;
• Capable of working independently, and as a part of a very small team;
• Fluency in the English language, both spoken and written;
• Eligibility for employment in the Netherlands throughout the course of this position.

Further information

The employment of this position as Project Officer will be full-time for an initial period of one year, after satisfactory completion of a two month probation period. The salary will be in accordance with the salary scales described in the Dutch Collective Labour Agreement (CAO) for the Research Institutes, and will depend on education and relevant experience. Secondary employment conditions include up to 42 days of leave a year (for a full-time equivalent position). The successful candidate will be employed directly by the EPB Secretariat in The Hague, with an expected starting date in October 2020. Owing to ongoing COVID-19  restrictions, it may be possible for the selected candidate to initially work from home.

For any queries regarding the position, please contact EPB Executive Secretary, Renuka Badhe, at r.badhe@nwo.nl. More information about EPB can be found at www.europeanpolarboard.org.

The EPB is an equal opportunity employer, committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and promoting equality in careers in science. We welcome applications from all sections of society, particularly those currently underrepresented in the polar research community. We are open to a range of flexible working options to support childcare and other caring responsibilities.

How to apply

To apply, please send a letter of motivation including your interest in the position, and detailing how your experience meets the set requirements, along with a CV and contact details of up to three references (combined PDF, maximum four pages), to epb@nwo.nl by 23:59 CEST on 8th September 2020, with “Project Officer Vacancy” as the email subject line.

Evaluation of shortlisted candidates may include a written assessment exercise and a competency-based interview at a later stage.