30 Jul 2026
Job Information
- Organisation/Company: Centro de Estudos Sociais da Universidade de Coimbra
- Research Field: Other
- Researcher Profile: Other Profession
- Positions: Other Positions
- Application Deadline: 10 Sep 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon)
- Country: Portugal
- Type of Contract: Other
- Type of Contract Extra Information: Secondment
- Job Status: Full-time
- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Not funded by a EU programme
Offer Description
The Centre for Social Studies (CES) at the University of Coimbra is seeking to recruit an Executive Director with proven experience in organisational leadership, strategic management and the coordination of multidisciplinary teams.
The Executive Director will be a member of the Board, to which he/she will report directly, and will work in close collaboration with the Centre's various governing bodies and technical support structures. The Executive Director will be responsible for ensuring the implementation of the institutional strategy, promoting organisational efficiency and supporting the Centre’s sustainable development.
CES is seeking an Executive Director with the ability to lead complex processes, manage resources and teams, foster institutional partnerships, and strengthen the Centre's national and international standing.
The Executive Director will be appointed under the framework of CES Strategic Plan – Associated Laboratory (UID/50012/2025 and LA/P/0047/2020), with financial support from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).
Where to apply
E-mail: concursos@ces.uc.pt
Requirements
Research Field: Other
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
c. Work plan/Main responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Institutional Management
- Support the Board in implementing CES’s strategic plan;
- Ensure effective coordination with the Centre’s various governance bodies;
- Ensure that the Centre’s technical support structure is aligned with the implementation of the Strategic Plan;
- Coordinate, with the Board and the President of the Scientific Council, participatory processes for institutional planning, monitoring and evaluation;
- Promote the continuous improvement of organisational, technical and administrative processes;
- Support the governing bodies in the preparation of and decision-making on strategic matters;
- Ensure the monitoring of institutional performance indicators.
Operational and Financial Management
- To guide and supervise the technical, administrative, financial and operational management of CES;
- To ensure the monitoring of budget implementation and the effective use of available resources;
- To coordinate procurement processes, the acquisition of goods and services, and contract management;
- To ensure compliance with applicable legal, regulatory and institutional requirements;
- Support organisational risk management and the implementation of good governance practices;
Project Management and Funding
- Oversee the management of projects funded by national and international bodies, in particular funding for the Research Unit and the Associated Laboratory;
- Support the identification of funding opportunities and institutional development initiative;
- Facilitate coordination between the research team, Associate Members, and the technical staff supporting research management;
- Ensure the monitoring of the objectives, deadlines, results and reporting obligations for the Unit’s and Associated Laboratory’s strategic projects.
Team Leadership
- Coordinate CES technical support structure;
- Promote an organisational culture based on collaboration, participation, innovation, inclusion and excellence;
- Support the recruitment, induction, training, and professional development of research and technical staff;
- Promote effective internal communication and alignment between teams.
Institutional Relations and External Representation
- Represent CES in its interactions with institutional partners, scientific networks, funding bodies and other organisations, as required;
- Contribute to enhancing the Centre’s national and international visibility and reputation;
- Support the development of strategic partnerships with universities, research centres, civil society organisations and public institutions.
Specific Requirements
d. Candidate profile and admission requirements
Candidate profile
Candidates should meet most of the following criteria:
- Higher education, Master or PhD degree;
- Proven and relevant professional experience in leadership, executive management or the coordination of complex organisations, particularly research units and/or other academic contexts;
- In-depth knowledge of the Portuguese and European scientific and technological systems;
- Experience in the management of research funding, particularly from national bodies and European programmes;
- Strong strategic planning and organisational management skills;
- A high sense of responsibility, integrity, discretion and decision-making ability;
- Proven experience in leading and developing interdisciplinary teams, with a focus on collaborative work;
- Demonstrated ability to work in academic and international environments;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in Portuguese and English;
- Skills in negotiation, co-creation, institutional relations and partnership building;
- A results-oriented mindset, with a commitment to inclusion, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Admission requirements
The competitive selection process is open to Portuguese, foreign and stateless candidates who hold, a master’s or doctoral degree and possess a professional curriculum demonstrating a profile appropriate to the duties to be performed.
Candidates with an academic degree or diploma issued by a foreign institution must submit proof of the recognition of their academic degree in Portugal, in accordance with Law No. 66/2018 of 16 August. Any candidate whose degree(s) has not been recognised may be admitted to the selection process, provided they submit proof of recognition within a maximum of 30 days from the date of notification of the final results; failure to do so will result in the appointment not being made.
Languages: PORTUGUESE
Level: Excellent
Languages: ENGLISH
Level: Excellent
Additional Information
Benefits
f. Legislation applicable to the conclusion of the contract
Labour Code, Law No. 7/2009 of 12 February (and subsequent amendments).
g. Place of work
The work will be carried out at the Centre for Social Studies in Coimbra.
h. Nature of the contract and monthly salary
- An employment contract under secondment (Comissão de Serviço) will be entered into for a coordination role, with an initial term of 12 months, renewable up to a maximum of 9 years, subject to a positive performance evaluation.
- The gross monthly salary corresponds to grade 195 of the Assistant Researcher category in the research career, in accordance with the salary range established by the remuneration table in force at CES. The position includes entitlement to holiday and Christmas allowances, as provided for in the Portuguese Labour Code, 25 working days of annual leave, and up to 5 additional leave days granted annually at the discretion of CES Board. The applicable salary will be adjusted to reflect any changes arising from the State Budget affecting remuneration aligned with the public sector pay scale.
- The position is based on on-site work, with the possibility of remote working under duly justified circumstances, on a flexible working hours basis.
Eligibility criteria
l. How to apply
Applications must include the following:
- A cover letter from the candidate, explaining their interest and suitability for CES and the role for which they are applying, as well as indicating their availability to start work;
- A full Curriculum Vitae, including a narrative biographical note and copies of qualification certificates, as well as any other documentation they consider relevant to the role;
- Names and contact details of two referees.
Applications must be sent by email to concursos@ces.uc.pt, attaching two PDF files: one containing the cover letter, CV, copies of qualifications and reference contacts; a second file containing any other supporting documents deemed relevant.
The cover letter and email must clearly indicate the reference number of the recruitment procedure: CES/20/CES-LA-DE
Selection process
e. Evaluation Methods and Criteria
The assessment of candidates comprises two stages: Curriculum Assessment (CA) and Interview (I)
Curriculum Vitae Assessment
The curriculum vitae assessment will consider proven professional experience in complex environments, research/academic contexts and interdisciplinary teams, as well as in management and coordination roles; language skills (Portuguese and English); higher education and professional qualifications appropriate and relevant to the role; and other certified skills.
Interview
The purpose of the interview is to assess the suitability of the candidate’s profile for the post, particularly with regard to the skills listed in section d). Depending on the candidates’ profiles, the selection panel may decide to organise several interview stages, awarding a single final mark for the series of interviews that each candidate undergoes.
The Final Score (FS) will be expressed on a scale of 0 to 20, calculated according to the following formula:
FS = 50% * CA + 50% * I
Where:
CA – Score obtained in the Curricular Assessment and
I – Score obtained in the Professional Selection Interview
Applications will be ranked according to the marks awarded in the Curriculum Assessment, with the five candidates with the highest marks in this category progressing to the Interview stage, provided their marks are above 14.
The marks awarded in the Interview will also be on a scale of 0 to 20.
If the vacancy is not filled, the selection panel may invite the next five highest-ranked candidates in the Curriculum Assessment to the interview, provided that their respective score is also 14 or above.
CES reserves the right not to proceed with recruitment if there are no candidates with the appropriate profile.
i) Composition of the Jury
- Tiago Santos Pereira – Chair
- Ana Cordeiro Santos
- Ana Cristina Santos
- Antonieta Reis Leite
- Giovanni Allegretti
- Rita Basílio Simões
- Silvia Rodriguez Maeso
j. Publication and Notification of Results
The final results of the competition, in the form of a ranked list of applicants, together with the corresponding minutes of the Selection Committee, will be sent by email to all applicants.
k. Application period
30 July to 10 September 2026. Interviews are expected to take place during September.
The Centre for Social Studies reserves the right not to make an appointment if none of the candidates meet the required profile.
Additional comments
NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL ACCESS POLICY
The Centre for Social Studies actively promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, whereby no candidate may be privileged, benefited, disadvantaged or deprived of any right or exempted from any duty on the grounds of, in particular, ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, social origin or condition, genetic heritage, reduced working capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or “race”, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological convictions and trade union membership.
Under the terms of Decree-Law no. 29/2001, of February 3, candidates with disabilities have preference in equal ranking, which takes precedence over any other legal preference.
Candidates must declare on the application form, under oath, their degree of disability, the type of disability and the means of communication/expression to be used in the selection process, under the terms of the aforementioned decree.
PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA
By submitting their application, candidates agree to the use of their personal data by CES administrative services for the exclusive purposes of this competition, namely to be contacted directly by CES services and to allow the communication of results, as provided for in point 10 of this notice. CES respects the principles of the GDPR.
CONTACTS
Centro de Estudos Sociais, concursos@ces.uc.pt
For further information, please visit www.ces.uc.pt
Website for additional job details: https://ces.uc.pt/pt
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available: 1
- Company/Institute: Centro de Estudos Sociais
- Country: Portugal
- State/Province: Coimbra
- City: Coimbra
- Postal Code: 3000-143
Contact
- City: Coimbra
- Website: http://www.ces.uc.pt
- Street: Colégio S. JerónimoApartado 30873001-401 Coimbra
- E-Mail: concursos@ces.uc.pt
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