Junior Program Officer

The National Coordination Agency for Educational Research (NRO) is part of NWO. The NRO funds and coordinates scientific research for the benefit of education. The results of this research enhance the quality of education. The NRO has several teams. One of these teams is the education research team. This team establishes, implements, and monitors funding procedures. In this team, you will serve as a program officer. Together with your colleagues, you will facilitate high-quality projects that have a significant impact on education. Your responsibilities are wide-ranging and will challenge you to continue learning. 

Your work in practice:

• You will be involved in the design and implementation of funding rounds. Funding takes the form of grants or competitive grants.
• You will assemble review committees and ensure that applications are evaluated in accordance with an established procedure.
• During performance review meetings, you ensure that the review process runs smoothly. You also prepare the meeting minutes.
• Together with your colleagues, you will monitor the studies that have been awarded funding. To this end, you will maintain contact with the study investigators, funders, experts, representatives of the target group, and other stakeholders.
• You will participate in meetings and organize meetings yourself, such as kickoff and progress meetings for research programs and expert meetings.
• You will perform a variety of support tasks, such as those related to developing a research agenda or overseeing its development. 

What you bring

You are a recent graduate or have a few years of work experience. You are customer-focused and results-oriented. You meet your deadlines while always maintaining a high level of accuracy in your work. You communicate clearly and effectively, are a pleasure to work with, and interact smoothly with colleagues and external stakeholders. 

Here's the basics:

• You have completed a master's degree.
• You have experience with or knowledge of issues in the Dutch education system.
• And you have experience with or knowledge of quantitative or qualitative research methods and/or innovation. 

This is where you'll be working

The National Coordination Agency for Educational Research (NRO) enhances the quality of education through research-based knowledge. We do this by funding and coordinating scientific research in the field of education. We also ensure that research findings are discoverable, accessible, and usable, so that professionals in educational practice and policy can apply this knowledge. We are building a robust national data infrastructure for education, so that schools receive relevant data on their students’ development, insights emerge regarding national trends in student outcomes, and research can be conducted quickly on key issues in education. 

Our teams are made up of enthusiastic colleagues from diverse backgrounds in terms of gender, culture, and age. We have an open and informal atmosphere; we are ambitious, quality-driven, and deeply committed to our work. Approximately 100 colleagues work at the NRO. The Education Research Department consists of one department head, two team leaders, and approximately 30 program staff members, and is divided into a team for primary education and a team for secondary education. At NWO, we work in a hybrid model. We spend 40 to 60% of our working hours in the office. 

Here's what we offer you

A challenging and socially meaningful position within an enthusiastic and supportive team, offering excellent employment conditions in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Research Institutions (Cao-OI (NL) - WVOI). 

You will receive a one-year employment contract, which will be converted to a permanent position upon satisfactory performance. Your salary will depend on your knowledge and experience and, for a full-time (38-hour) position, will range from €3,361 to €5,331 gross per month (scale 10, Collective Labor Agreement for Research Institutions). In addition, we offer you, among other things, an 8% vacation allowance, an end-of-year bonus of 8.33%, and a very generous leave policy. NWO is affiliated with the ABP for pension benefits, and we offer partially paid parental leave, a discount on supplemental health insurance, and extensive training opportunities. We operate on a hybrid model (partly at the office in The Hague and partly from home). You will receive compensation for working from home, an NS business card for public transportation, and we provide an NWO laptop and mobile phone. 

About NWO

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is the leading science funder in the Netherlands and ensures quality and innovation in science. NWO invests one billion euros annually in research. Promoting scientific research and increasing scientific and societal impact—in other words, NWO’s success—depends entirely on the dedication, quality, enthusiasm, and diversity of our employees. Every day, we work to create an inclusive environment where all employees can develop their talents and feel valued and engaged. A work environment that embraces differences and where everyone can excel, feel inspired, and stay motivated. 

Would you like more information about our organization? Visit nro.nl. You might also find onderwijskennis.nl interesting.