Developer Educational Systems

25 years ago, Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer, delivered a legendary speech (look it up) in which he said - well, shouted actually -, ‘the key to success is developers, developers, developers, developers’.  He wanted thousands. We’re a bit more modest: we just need one.

Developer Educational Systems - Faculty of Science and Engineering 

• Our goal: You’d think that with so many scientists and engineers around, we’d already have developers everywhere. And we do, but they’re focused on research, teaching and learning. We need you to build and maintain the systems that enable those people to excel in their work: the infrastructure that quietly keeps the educational process running.
• Your colleagues: We are the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) at Maastricht University - the youngest science faculty in the Netherlands. Following years of rapid growth, we are now proud to be a vibrant community of more than 3,700 students and 500 staff members, spread across four cities in Limburg. We are ambitious, committed to both our education and research, and just a little bit rebellious.

This is not a corporate dev job. There are no KPIs about increasing user engagement by 12%. We can’t promise you a ping pong table (although we probably have one somewhere) or stock options. What we can promise is that when your code works, courses run smoothly and tutors aren’t stuck emailing spreadsheets at midnight. In other words, real impact, the kind that helps today’s students and staff build tomorrow’s world.

If that sounds like a win, read on.

What you’ll ship
As our future colleague, you will play an important role in the further development of Planit, our application that supports the educational logistics process and that we are continuously shaping together with our users. You will not only help build new functionalities, but also be involved in gathering requirements and translating them into concrete solutions within our technology stack.

What you bring to the repo

• You know how to listen, analyse, and transform input into something real - a process, a feature, a solution.
• You’re able to explain tech choices in plain language when needed.
• You’re comfortable working independently, but not afraid to ask when something’s unclear.
• Experience with APIs (ideally RESTful, using Django/DRF).
• Some background in databases (PostgreSQL or similar).
• Familiarity with frontend development (React/Next.js is a plus).
• Understanding of caching, brokering, or async tasks (Redis/Celery helpful, not required).
• Interest in containerization and deployment (Docker experience is a plus).

What we offer
As a Developer at Faculty of Science & Engineering, 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 9 according to UFO profile Engineering and Application Manager, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €3708,00 and €5057,00 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 12 months with a scope of 0,8 - 1,0 FTE. Upon proven suitability, the employment contract will be converted to an indefinite contract. 
• 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 Science and Engineering  
At the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), we focus on themes such as circularity and sustainability, future farming, digitisation and (scientific) instrument development.  FSE's leading projects, like the Einstein Telescope Pathfinder, are sure to grab anyone's attention.  The faculty is a vibrant hub of education and research in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS).  At FSE, over 450 staff members and 3700 students gather to explore e exciting interdisciplinary research and educational programmes. Feel welcome, be part of our team and put your brilliant mind to work!  
 

FSE at the Brightlands Campuses  
Maastricht, Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen, and Venlo, the home of four creative Brightlands campuses, are bustling with 30,000 entrepreneurs, researchers, and students working diligently to solve global challenges. The Faculty of Science and Engineering is active on all four Brightlands campuses, and this is where our impact reaches its peak. To give you an idea of what is happening at each campus: Sittard-Geleen is home to the largest chemical site in the Euregion, while Venlo is a large hub for agri-food innovation. Maastricht is the site of the Health Campus, and Heerlen is the place to be for Smart Services.  

Curious?
Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Ton Derix, Head of Department and Information Manager, via ton.derix@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information. 

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new developer? Apply now, no later than 28 September 2025, for this position.

To apply, please submit the following documents:

• A motivation letter (max. 1 A4) with concrete examples that show you match the qualifications we’re looking for. We don’t mind if you use ChatGPT, but make it work for you, not just recycle our vacancy text.
• A detailed CV.

Diversity is important to us (including, but not limited to, nationality, age, and gender). We therefore strongly encourage you to apply if you are qualified for this position. Depending on your location, you may be invited for an in-person or online interview.

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.