Vacancy EU Action Plan team: EU Liaison officer

The Technical University of Eindhoven (TU/e) is an internationally renowned technical university specializing in Engineering Science & Technology. The TU/e comprises nine faculties, four Institutes and ten central services that support the primary processes of education, research, and valorization. Through these high-quality activities, TU/e drives advancements in technical sciences and the development of technological innovations. In doing so, TU/e contributes to the growth of prosperity and well-being in the Brainport region and beyond. At the heart of TU/e are its people: the campus is home to a growing community of approximately 13,000 students and 3,500 staff members who live, work, and engage in recreational activities on campus.

SIG
Strategic Industry and Government Affairs (SIG) is a team responsible for external partnerships which leads, in close cooperation with and in support of the Executive Board, the development of TU/e’s strategic networks in politics, government and industry where impact (innovation) is paramount.

Research Support Network
The TU/e Research Support Network (RSN) is a comprehensive knowledge network on campus that supports researchers throughout all phases of their research & innovation projects. The RSN is organized into two tiers: the first tier consists of Departmental Project Development Offices (PDOs) who provide day-today support close to the researcher and Institute Program Managers (PMs) who support researchers from a thematic/strategic point of view. The second tier, which works closely with SIG, consists of experts at central services who offer specialized support to both the first tier support and to researchers directly.

TU/e EU Action Plan
On the request of the Executive Board and as a deliverable of the TU/e 2030 Strategy, a new EU-strategy has been developed by a campus-wide working group, in cocreation with stakeholders at TU/e: the TU/eEU Action Plan.

Goal of the plan is to improve the way TU/e is engaging in EU-research & innovation policies and programs (e.g. Horizon Europe). We aim to have an integral and coherent approach in which we closely cooperate on campus and where we learn and grow further together. In doing so, we will be compliant with all existing and new EC-regulations and requirements.

The EU Action Plan, which has broad support on all levels within TU/e, is a dedicated and balanced improvement program in which needed new instruments (like info sessions, trainings, workshops, etc.) will be developed. The overall aim is that TU/e and its researchers and support staff will have a high return on effort and optimal visibility, participation and impact in EU R&I programs.

To this end, amongst others, staff in 4 central services will be extended, including in the current service-department of Strategic Industry & Government affairs (part of General Affairs). The combined new staff will form an EU Action Plan core-team across these 4 central services; this team will closely collaborate with other staff in central services and with first tier support staff in the Departments & Institutes in various sub-projects towards achieving the goals of the EU Action Plan.

Job description
We are seeking an enthusiastic colleague to contribute to the successful execution of TU/e’s EU Action Plan. As Liaison officer you will support institutes, departments and their academic staff and first tier support staff in the strategic positioning of TU/e in Brussels & Europe.

You will do so a.o. by organizing workshops and ensuring follow up in an iterative process and joint effort (researchers, management, support staff). With these workshops we aim to provide further context of the European R&I policy & funding landscape for Principle Investigators, and to stimulate a proactive positioning of TU/e Focus Areas, so that we can move faster when opportunities arise or are being created by us. Longer term goal is developing and executing EU Positioning Roadmaps (action-agendas) for TU/e’s Focus Areas.

You will also help setting up and running a structured training programme for researchers as well as a training programme for 1st tier support staff (train the trainer). You will help in extending well aligned external relations & cooperation of the RSN with our strategic partners (such as the EuroTech Universities Alliance ) and our key industry partners.
Importantly, you will also help in the development of improved procedures, toolkits and templates etc. that are to be developed in the context of the EU Action Plan.

You will be hierarchically positioned in the team of Strategic Industry & Government affairs, but content-wise in day-to-day operations be part of the new EU Action Plan team. This role offers a high degree of diversity and autonomy within these teams and the university.

Tasks
Specific tasks include:

• Assist & advise in the definition/scoping of TU/e Focus Areas; help find (potential) niches/USPs within Europe.
• Coordinate Focus Areas initiatives with higher management at TU/e, and ensure alignment between the various Focus Areas.
• Ensure development and execution of Focus Area Roadmaps, in close cooperation with FA-coordinators.
• Assist & advise in the yearly discussions about updated strategic positioning plans of Faculty & Institute Boards with the EU Advisory Board and TU/e Executive Board.
• Contribute to a structured training programme for researchers, as well as for research support staff (train the trainer).
• Stimulate and support researchers to develop a personal EU-growth strategy and network (a.o. through the EuroTech Universities Alliance).
• Support for 1st tier support staff in developing & maintaining well aligned external relations & cooperation with strategic partners such as EuroTech, key industry partners, (for example, by closely working together with the SIG team members) etc.
• Closely collaborate with colleagues in the TU/e Research Support Network and other stakeholders on campus (e.g. department- and institute directors).