Your function
Job description
The Aurora Project Manager is a key coordinating role within the Aurora Central Office. Working closely with the Secretary-General and alongside another Project Manager with a complementary focus on educational development, the Project Manager supports the financial management, reporting, and overall implementation of the European University alliance programme.
The role combines financial coordination, EU-level reporting, project monitoring, and stakeholder interaction in a complex international environment involving multiple universities, task teams, and external bodies, including the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).
Your duties
Aurora 2030 Programme coordination and support to the Secretary-General
- Provide operational and tactical support to the Secretary-General (SG) in the implementation of the Aurora alliance programme
- Contribute to the realisation of the project plan and cross-alliance coordination
- Support the SG with the preparation, attendance, planning, and follow-up of:
- FOREU4ALL and EACEA meetings
- Executive Committee meetings
- Other governance and coordination meetings
Aurora 2030 Reporting and compliance
- ·Coordinate continuous and periodic reporting, including progress and final reports
- ·Organise and support data gathering from Task Teams (TTs) and Work Packages (WPs)
- ·Structure, analyse, and consolidate qualitative and quantitative (including financial) data
- ·Ensure timely and compliant delivery of project deliverables, including:
- Alignment with required formats and reporting guidelines
- Monitoring milestones and deliverables and its deadlines
- Supporting TT and WP leads throughout reporting cycles
- Uploading and managing submissions via the EACEA portal
- Act as a central contact point for project management communication with EACEA, including reviews and follow-up actions
Financial management and coordination
- Support the lead university (University of Iceland) in the financial management of the Aurora 2030 alliance programme
- Contribute to financial planning, monitoring, and internal coordination across partners
- Develop and maintain clear financial overviews and timelines
- Support financial reporting in line with EU funding rules and requirements
Strategic development and external engagement
- Support the preparation of future funding applications, including new or parallel projects under EU and other international calls
- Monitor and coordinate initiatives related to new funding opportunities
- Maintain and develop working relationships with other European University alliances
- Support engagement with relevant external stakeholders and partners
- Promote Aurora tools, results, and opportunities across the alliance
- Potentially contribute to the integration of new member universities
Your profile
We are looking for a colleague who:
- Holds a Master’s degree or higher qualification
- Has at least 5-7 years of relevant experience in project management roles, ideally within EU-funded or internationally funded programmes
- Has strong experience with financial and administrative coordination, reporting, and compliance
- Is familiar with EU funding frameworks, reporting cycles, and accountability requirements
- Has experience working in complex, multi-partner and international environments
- Can combine financial accuracy with a pragmatic, solution-oriented mindset
- Is proactive, reliable, and comfortable navigating institutional complexity
Desired skills
- Has experience in higher education or in comparable EU-funded policy, research, or cooperation environments (higher education experience is an asset, not a requirement)
- Experienced in using project management tools
Competences
- Excellent organisational and time management skills
- Flexibility and the ability to improvise
- Good interpersonal communication skills
- Dynamic, energetic and has a positive mindset
- Team player
As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.
We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.
What do we offer?
A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:
- a salary of minimum € 4.728,00 (Scale 11) and maximum € 6.433,00 (Scale 11) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Project Manager 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
- a position for at least 0.8 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 18 months. Afterwards, the possibility of expansion exists.
We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:
- A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
- 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
- contribution to commuting expenses
- hybrid working enables a good work-life balance
- optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
About us
Aurora
Aurora is a network of research-intensive universities in Europe committed to matching academic excellence with societal relevance. Aurora serves as a high-trust platform in which university leaders, academics, students and administrators learn from and with each other how to make their universities more successful in achieving their shared mission. Only one university per HE system can be member; other membership criteria address research excellence, demonstrable societal engagement and comprehensiveness of education and research.
It was founded in 2016 as an association under Dutch law by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the University of East Anglia. It currently consists of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the University of Iceland, the University of Duisburg-Essen, the University Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, the University of Innsbruck, the University of Naples, Palacky University in Olomouc, and the University Paris Est-Creteil.
Aurora is part of the European Universities initiative funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ programme. In November 2023, the 2nd funding period under this initiative has started as the Aurora 2030 programme. The Copenhagen Business School is also member of this Aurora 2030 programme. In addition, 4 universities in Central and Eastern Europe collaborate with Aurora in the Aurora 2030 programme
Department of University Relations & Fundraising
Strengthening and expanding the ties of the VU Amsterdam community – that’s the goal of the Department of University Relations & Fundraising (DURF) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. We are the prime location for external relations, external partnerships and philanthropic fundraising. Four departments make up the service: Social Engagement, Fundraising, VU Association and Relations Management. We maintain relations with donors, stakeholders and VU Amsterdam alumni, and we coordinate all the activities of the VU Association. We organise university-wide events and raise funding for teaching and research.
Connect is the keyword for all our work: we connect the members of our VU community, on campus and in the outside world. Together we are building a VU community that is much broader than current students and staff: a worldwide network of people and organisations who feel connected with each other, with shared values and a shared passion for VU Amsterdam’s ambitions.
Are you interested in joining the Department of University Relations and Fundraising? You will work alongside 20 active, enthusiastic colleagues. Professionals in the areas of fundraising, communications, event management, relationship management, administrative support, finance and human resource management make up our multifaceted team.
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct
We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.
Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.
We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.
Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.
Interested
Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the excellence of our services? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application, even if you don't meet all requirements.
Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process.
Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.
Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.
