Collaborative Proposal Development Partner (0,8-1,0 fte)

Introduction

Are you passionate about enabling world‑class research and helping top academic talent secure major funding? Do you thrive in complex, collaborative environments where strategy, content and stakeholder management come together?

At Erasmus University Rotterdam, you will play a key role in strengthening our position in major national and international research initiatives. As a Collaborative Proposal Development Partner, you work closely with leading researchers to shape high‑impact proposals, build strong consortia and guide ideas from early concept to successful submission.

This is a unique opportunity to combine strategic thinking, hands‑on proposal development and close collaboration with academic leaders, while contributing directly to the success and visibility of EUR’s research.

Job description

As a Collaborative Proposal Development Partner, you support researchers in securing funding for major collaborative research programmes at both national (e.g. NWO, NWA, Zwaartekracht) and European level (e.g. Horizon Europe, MSCA‑DN, EIT, IHI).

You typically work on 6–8 large proposals per year, often where EUR acts as coordinator. In close collaboration with lead researchers, you help shape proposal strategies, build consortia and guide the full development process from idea to submission.

You are part of the Major Research Initiatives Grants team within Engagement & Research Services (ERS), working alongside proposal developers and closely collaborating with project managers, legal experts, data stewards, business developers and communication advisors.

In this role, you take ownership of the proposal development process and act as a trusted partner to researchers, combining strategic advice with hands‑on execution.

Your main responsibilities are:

• Act as a trusted partner and right hand to lead researchers in preparing major collaborative research proposals
• Identify and match strategic funding opportunities with academic talent
• Guide the full proposal process: concept development, consortium building, writing coordination and submission
• Ensure proposals meet the highest standards in terms of quality, structure and compliance
• Advise researchers, teams and faculties on long‑term strategies and positioning for major funding
• Collaborate with faculty grant advisors and internal experts to strengthen proposals
• Build and maintain relationships with external partners and stakeholders to support consortium development
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of processes and ways of working within the ERS Grants team
• Share knowledge and expertise with colleagues across the organisation

Job requirements

Required experience, skills and competencies:

• The ambition and willingness to work towards capacity building the university to become increasingly more successful and ambitious in the field of grants;
• Several years (3+) of relevant work experience in supporting and advising in the application of NWO and/or Horizon research grants.
• The ambition to take on the significant challenge of coordinating consortia of intersectoral, interdisciplinary, international stakeholders as they work towards a major collaborative grant. Prior experience will be viewed positively;
• A proactive attitude and proven capability to build trust in collaborations;
• Excellent verbal and written command of English and Dutch (level C).

Employment conditions and benefits

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 1 August 2026 or a mutually agreed upon date. and you will be based at campus Woudestein in Engagement & Research Services (ERS). This position is for 0.8 fte - 1 fte. The salary is dependent on your experience and knowledge and ranges from a minimum of € 4.728 to a maximum of € 6.433 gross per month Scale 11 on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The contract is offered for a period of 1 year and can be converted into an employment contract for an indefinite period if suitability is proven and if continued in the same position, if (financial and/or organizational) circumstances remain the same.

Everything else we offer you; you can find below!

- Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!

- Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.

- Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget and free access to our university library.

- Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.

- Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare (daycare not paid for by EUR).

- Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the Expat-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

Employer

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 4.100 academics and professionals and almost 33.000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities. www.eur.nl.

Faculty / Institute / Central service

Engagement & Research Services (ERS) advances excellent research and engagement to maximize positive societal impact. ERS creates conditions for transparent, inclusive, collaborative, and impactful research through strategic and operational expertise. 

We provide pathways for talents to reach their full potential and we advance fruitful collaborations, enabling Erasmus University to be a front runner in embedding excellent research in society. The following areas of support are embedded within ERS: Business Development, Grant Support, Legal Counsels, Open Science, Research Data Management, Ethics Review and Research Intelligence. ERS is a relatively young service department within Erasmus University Rotterdam and is steadily building and extending its service portfolio. ERS provides support to all faculties of Erasmus university Rotterdam (occasionally to Erasmus University Medical Center). 

Additional information

Are you enthusiastic about the position but would like to ask a few questions first? You can contact Angela Noble via office.ers@eur.nl.

If you would like to know more about the procedure or about working at EUR in general, please contact our Corporate Recruiter Iris Konijnendijk at iris.konijnendijk@eur.nl.

You can find more information about the EUR on our website www.eur.nl.

Applying

Please submit your application, consisting of a motivation letter and CV, before the vacancy closing date.

Your motivation letter should place your professional track record into the context of your personal drives, ambitions and experiences. Please also describe how the Proposal Development Partner role would fit in with your past experiences and how it would benefit you.

The selection procedure consists of 2 interviews. In case you are invited for the second round you will be asked to prepare a short assignment. Interviews are expected to be held on July 1st and 8th.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Persons of all gender identities or expressions, sexual orientations, religions, ethnicities, ages, neurodiversities, functional impairments, citizenships, or any other aspect are welcome to apply and join the EUR community.