Junior Researcher in Sports Policy

Background

As a junior researcher, you will primarily work within the Policy team. This team conducts research on sports policy in the Netherlands at the local, provincial, and national levels. For example, we monitor the National Sports Agreement and the Broad Regulation on Combined Roles (BRC). The National Sports Agreement is a comprehensive agreement that plays a central role in numerous ambitions and goals of national, provincial, and local governments. The BRC is a regulation governing the deployment of various professionals in the sports and physical activity sector.

What will you be doing?

You will be working on various policy issues within the sports sector. As a policy researcher, your primary role will be to contribute to the monitoring of the National Sports Agreement and the BRC. You will conduct both qualitative and quantitative research in this regard, with an emphasis on quantitative analysis.

The role of junior policy researcher also requires that you:

• contributes to research on local sports (facilities) policy: for example, monitoring or evaluation studies of municipal sports policy or audits by the Court of Auditors;
• analyzes data from various surveys and studies conducted by the Policy Team and reports on them;
• learns how to write project proposals and, over time, is assigned tasks related to business development and project management.

What are we looking for?

• You have an academic level of work and thinking, preferably with a completed master’s degree in public administration or public and organizational administration. We also encourage candidates with a completed master’s degree in related fields, such as sociology, social sciences, interdisciplinary (social) sciences, or human movement sciences, to apply.
• You are interested in policy issues within the broader landscape of Dutch sports.
• You have a good command of the Dutch language, both written and spoken.
• You have some experience with quantitative research.
• You are proactive and know how to get things done.
• You will work independently under supervision, with precision, in a systematic and organized manner.
• You have a constructive and critical attitude.

What do we offer?

We offer an exciting position in an open and dynamic organization. As a junior researcher, you will be mentored by an experienced researcher who is available to answer any questions you may have. There are regular meetings with all the other junior researchers.

You can work partly from home and partly from our office, which overlooks the Galgenwaard stadium. Outside of work, we regularly organize fun activities for all employees. Of course, we’ll make sure you have everything you need to do your job well: you’ll be provided with a laptop and a cell phone on loan. In addition, there are opportunities for personal development, such as taking courses and training programs.

The Mulier Institute operates on a 37.5-hour workweek and has its own employment conditions, including full reimbursement of travel expenses, a work-from-home policy, and a time-for-time and leave savings scheme. We apply the salary scales of the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities. The position of Junior Researcher in Sports Policy is classified in scale 8 (€3,382–€4,484 gross per month, full-time). The appointment is initially for one year.

Who are we?

The Mulier Institute conducts sports research for policymakers and society. Our clients are primarily civil society organizations, government agencies, and sports organizations. Our institute employs approximately 75 colleagues who are passionate about sports, physical activity, and health. The institute is located at the Galgenwaard Stadium in Utrecht. The working language within our organization is Dutch. For more information, visitmulierinstituut.nl.

At the Mulier Institute, we believe it is important for everyone to feel at home. We strive to create a work culture that is as inclusive as possible, with a focus on equality and on preventing and combating exclusion. We value diversity within the organization—including people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, with different religious and philosophical beliefs, abilities, genders, and sexual orientations—and are committed to fostering it.

We believe that a diverse organization provides us with the best possible perspective on issues both within and outside the organization. That is why we specifically encourage candidates who can contribute to this diversity—whether from ethnic, cultural, or religious minorities; those with lived experience of chronic illness or disability; or members of the LGBTQ+ community—to apply.

Interested?

Are you interested in this position? If so, please uploadyourresume and cover letter (addressed to Lisanne Balk, Head of the Providers, Policy, and Elite Sports Cluster)by November 17, 2025, using the application form on our website. If you have any questions about the position, please contactLisanne Balk.