"Research Officer "Sonar-Cities""

Are you excited to dive into a complex transdisciplinary project to help understand lessons learned and creatively communicate scientific results? Is your ambition to provide professional administrative and project while further developing your skills in facilitating results reflections and developing training and webinars for a European wide research project? Are you interested in supporting capacity-building for professionals, policy makers and city residents involved in disaster preparedness to better support people with vulnerabilities during crises?

Then we have the perfect opportunity for you!

Research officer
The department of Anthropology is looking for a research officer to participate in the capacity strengthening work package of a European Commission funded 3-year project called Social sciences participatory research-action for preparedness in risk management for disasters and health emergencies in Europe’s cities, or Sonar-Cities in short.

Developed through the sonar-global network, this project aims to reduce inequality and vulnerabilities among urban inhabitants through the co-creation of an inclusive, citizen-centred, participatory, tailored toolset to strengthen individual, community, and municipal authority capacities to understand, prepare for, and cope more effectively with emergencies and disasters.

The project’s approach is to analyze the health consequences of past disasters and health emergencies in six European cities (Groningen, Ljubljana, Udine, Vienna, Zagreb, and Stockholm), leveraging transdisciplinary social science research and explicitly including the perspectives of people experiencing vulnerabilities. We will mobilize these analyses to co-create - with publics at risk, first-responders, and authorities - an inclusive, citizen-centered toolset. This will comprise tested, evaluated tools and methods housed on a user-friendly platform. It will generate inclusive preparedness, improved health literacy, crisis communication and risk reduction, and a more integrated One Health approach for disasters and health emergencies in European cities.

What are you going to do
You will provide the main administrative, operational and research support for a small team consisting of a postdoc and senior researcher in the implementation of the work package. You will work closely with the work package postdoctoral researcher and senior researcher, as well as the boarder project network of international partners in the consortium to support an interactive, vibrant learning culture across the project. By distilling and communicating key lessons learned through trainings and webinars together with the team, you will contribute to the project's overall impact.

Your tasks:

• Scheduling, organising and documenting the team’s meetings and be the first point of contact for the work package email inbox;
• Managing qualitative data and maintain the UvA Teams environment and archive;
• Support the documentation of project process and results using qualitative (ethnographic) research techniques, including occasional fieldwork;
• Help organize reflection meetings with project partners and stakeholders to foster collaboration and share insights;
• Further develop the mapping of existing emergency response trainings to align with the project’s goals, including analysis and supporting publication of findings;
• Help to produce capacity building materials and events;
• Support the development and hosting of online training(s) and webinars hosted on the Sonar-Cities Knowledge Platform;
• Support the development of the Sonar-Cities Knowledge Platform.

What do you have to offer
You show ambition in the fields of project coordination, knowledge management and project monitoring and evaluation. Experience with ethnographic data collection is desirable. We are looking for an open-minded person who is able to dive into a complex international project and professionally engage with research partners, professionals and the broader public. You must demonstrate an interest in the field of disaster preparedness and response, and commitment to justice and inclusiveness of vulnerable populations, such as people living with disabilities, psychiatric patients, or older people.

Your experience and profile:

• Master’s level degree in social sciences or related;
• Knowledge of tools and techniques related to project administration and science communication;
• Qualitative research skills, ethnographic experience is desirable;
• Experience supporting complex projects networks and working effectively in small teams;
• Knowledge and interest in the fields of disaster preparedness, and/or inclusive development;
• Excellent English language skills, with a second language relevant to the project highly desired;
• You are resident and allowed to work in the Netherlands, and also able to travel regularly to the office in Amsterdam.

What else do we offer you
We offer a temporary employment contract of 15 hours per week as research officer. The initial employment is for one year with a probationary period of 2 months and will start on 1 October 2025. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances, the initial term may be extended for a period to 30 November 2027.

For this position the University Job Classification profile “onderwijs- /onderzoekmedewerker 4” applies. Depending on your relevant experience and qualifications, the minimum salary is €3,057 and the maximum salary is €3,985 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, in keeping with salary scale 7, as per the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities.

We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary benefits, including 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.

The UvA offers excellent possibilities for further professional development and education.

Besides, we offer:

• Opportunities to attend training courses and both national and international events;
• A position in which initiative and input are highly valued;
• An opportunity to learn and further your career in knowledge management, learning and evaluation;
• An inspiring academic and international working environment in the heart of Amsterdam.

At this department you will be working

You will be employed at the department of Anthropology and become part of an international network of European applied researchers and professionals working on the cities involved in the project. Your direct team consists of a senior researcher / principal investigator, and a postdoctoral researcher, and you will be embedded in Departmental programme group Health, Care and the Body.

If you recognize yourself in this profile and are interested in the role, we look forward to receiving your motivation letter and CV combined in a single PDF. It is not necessary to submit reference letters in this stage of the procedure. You can apply via the red button no later than 14 September 2025. Only complete applications received within the response period and submitted via the red button will be considered.

Selected candidates will be invited for an interview which are expected to take place as soon as possible after the closing date for applications. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be given preference over external candidates.

For questions about the vacancy, you can contact: Dr. Danny de Vries, Project leader, d.h.devries@uva.nl