(Pre-Award) Project manager (Mental Health and Neuroscience Research institute)

The Mental Health and Neuroscience Research Institute (MHeNs) at the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML), Maastricht University, is looking for a dynamic (pre-award) project manager (0.8 – 1.0 FTE), who will join our team to assist and support our researchers / PI’s in preparing grant applications in the European (Horizon Europe) and national (NWO) funding calls and programmes. 

Are you the connecting link our team needs to make our scientific proposals and projects succeed? If so, read on!

Job Description
As a project manager, you will support scientific projects from start to finish. This includes applying for grants, starting up projects, reporting progress, managing amendment procedures, and accounting for costs in close collaboration with the researchers and administrative staff of MHeNs. You ensure the efficient and correct handling of national and international grant processes. You are the linking pin in all processes. 

What You Will Do:

• Identify competitive Horizon Europe calls relevant for MHeNs researchers and promote project proposals. 
• Assist MHeNs principal investigators and their team members with the preparation of research proposals, which includes:
  • Assuring compliance with the call funding policies and regulations
  • Preparing specific instructions for how to focus/structure the proposal
  • Helping to revise drafts of the proposal and provide feedback (format, focus, language, etc.)
  • Helping to prepare the proposal budget, both for MHeNs and for the project consortium as a whole (when applicable)
  • Handle the formal registration and submission of the proposals in any relevant format.
• Coordinate daily activities and inform colleagues about regulations, procedures, and legislation.
• Monitor project progress against agreed milestones and deliverables, and timely signal any issues. 
• Maintain contacts and manage activities according to the project plan and grant conditions.
• Maintain external contacts with grant providers and international collaboration partners, particularly in the context of our European network of neuroscience graduate schools, EURON.
• Prepare and discuss grant-related contracts (such as Grant Agreements, Consortium and Data Agreements) with legal affairs and privacy officers. 

Requirements
We are looking for someone who is independent and proactive, always thinking three steps ahead. You have excellent communication skills and are a strong team worker. You have a positive attitude, can tackle complex situations, are collegial, flexible and have a strong sense of responsibility.

• Educational Background: You hold at least a university degree, preferably in a field relevant to the position.
• Administrative Skills: You possess strong financial and legal administrative skills.
• Language Proficiency: You are fluent in both English and Dutch, with excellent spoken and written communication skills.
• Experience with Subsidies/Grants: Ideally, you have several years of experience working with funding/grants and understand the requirements of these processes.
• Funding Landscape Knowledge: Knowledge of the broad funding landscape in the scientific domain (regional, national, and European) is preferred.
• Research Affinity: An interest in the research field of our institute is a plus.
• Project Management Systems: Project management systems, particularly EU portal, is advantageous.
• Collaborative Partner: You are comfortable acting as a sparring partner for the Management Team and project leaders.

What we offer
As (Pre-Award) Project manager (Mental Health and Neuroscience Research institute) at Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale 11 according to UFO profile Project Manager, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €4492,00 and €6148,00 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 48 months with a scope of 0.8 – 1.0 FTE. At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model. 
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students. 
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'. 
   

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?
At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM. 

Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences
At the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML), everything revolves around healthy living. Our research and education are not solely focused on recovery, but place a strong emphasis on prevention, health preservation, and health promotion. Our aim is to use our knowledge and expertise to genuinely contribute to the well-being of individual people as well as society in total. 

In, research, and healthcare, FHML is closely collaborating with the academic hospital in Maastricht, together forming the Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+).  FHML is strongly connected in education, research, and care with the Maastricht academic hospital, together with which it forms the Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC+). 

FHML, which is the largest faculty of Maastricht University, is formed by an (inter)national community of employees and students. The faculty offers a wide range of Dutch and English-taught bachelor's and master's programs in innovative educational concepts in which the emphasis is always on building bridges to practice.
 

The multidisciplinary research of the FHML focuses on a number of carefully chosen topical current themes. In addition to research aimed at gaining new insights, it also concerns research whose results can be directly translated into concrete applications and innovations. The implementation of the various research programs is organized in our six graduate schools and two institutes.

 
Department

Within the Research Institute MHeNs, about 500 researchers conduct research into mechanisms and treatments of disorders of the brain, mind and sensory systems across 14 academic/ clinical departments. We have more than 600 publications annually in Science Citation indexed journals. For more details see: 

https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/research/school-mental-health-and-neuroscience

Curious?
Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Managing Director of MHeNs, Tom van den Crommenacker t.vandencrommenacker@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information. 

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new (Pre-Award) Project manager (Mental Health and Neuroscience Research institute)? Apply now, no later than September 30, for this position.
 

Please upload your CV and motivation letter. We would welcome recommendation letters. 

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.