Project Officer for ED-AFFICHE Project

(ref. BAP-2023-46)

Laatst aangepast : 1/02/2023

In autumn 2022, Una Europa co-developed a strategic project proposal in response to the European Commission’s call to pilot the European Degree label, together with five like-minded European University Alliances, 4EU+, CHARM-EU, EC2U, EU-CONEXUS and Unite!, in order to further the alliances’ united vision on the European Degree. Una Europa brings together Freie Universität Berlin, Alma Master Studiorum Università di Bologna, University College Dublin / An Coláiste Ollscoile Baile Átha Cliath, University of Edinburgh, University of Helsinki / Helsingfors universitet, Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie, Universiteit Leiden, KU Leuven, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and Universität Zürich in a unique European University Alliance. Building on the complementary strengths of the partner universities, Una Europa has already taken first decisive steps in developing a highly competitive joint academic offering, including Europe's first truly joint Bachelor's degree. Together, the six leading European University Alliances at the core of this project consortium comprise an exceptionally strong and diverse group of 51 higher education institutions from all across Europe. The consortium partners have a long track record of international collaboration, in particular the development of joint programmes, and have been at the forefront of co-developing the European Degree policy initiative since the very beginning. The consortium’s common vision on the European Degree label acts as a strong basis for collaboration and the guiding thread for this project proposal. In addition, the partners have been successful in securing the support of 18 national and regional ministries in charge of higher education as well as 14 national accreditation and quality assurance agencies. It is the exchange of best practice between those actors and the open dialogue with the involved universities that sits at the heart of this project. KU Leuven, as the coordinator of this project “ED AFFICHE - European Degree: Advancing, Facilitating and Fostering International Collaboration in Higher Education”, is seeking a full-time Project Officer to support the Project Coordinator in the coordination and successful delivery of this strategic project. The Project Officers will report directly to the Project Coordinator, Prof. Kurt Willems, Professor of Education Law and Head of Leuven Centre for Public Law at KU Leuven. This role will suit pro-active and versatile professionals with prior experience in the higher education sector, who are driven by multi-faceted activities and fast-paced international work environments.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will take on a crucial role at the heart of a diverse international project consortium, which brings together higher education institutions, quality assurance agencies as well as regional and national ministries from across the European continent. The Project Officer will work at the intersection of all project partners and across all Work Packages to: 

Role and responsibilities

Provide support to the Project Coordinator in the central coordination of the project, including in the organisation and preparation of Work Package Coordination meetings, Project Management Committee meetings as well as any other relevant meetings

Ensure smooth administration of the project, overseeing the timely delivery of all required project outputs and fulfilling all reporting requirements associated to this project, in line with the Grant Agreement

Assist all Work Package leaders in the execution of core tasks, ensuring continuous alignment across all Work Packages and engaging in a constant feedback loop

Support the development of central guidelines, materials and templates to ensure adequate internally quality management and a coordinated approach across all key project activities 

Contribute to the drafting of reports and policy recommendations, including synthesising interviews and analysing survey results 

Organise a project kick-off meeting as well as support in the organisation of European-level meetings and a final dissemination conference 

Other tasks in line with post and specific profile of the candidate. 

Profile

Profile and skills

Preferably 5 years of relevant work experience within the higher education landscape; particular experience in the area of joint programme development, quality assurance considered a bonus 

Prior experience of working in a European and international environment, ideally in the context of European projects

Minimum requirement: Master’s Degree, PhD considered an advantage 

Ability to develop and manage collaborative working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders with a proactive nature 

Effective communication and interpersonal skills, a consultative style with an ability to multi-task and manage many competing demands at the same time 

Very good analytical and writing skills with the ability to distil complex information into accessible texts

Ability maintain a helicopter view of this large-scale project and partnership while not loosing sight of the details

Excellent level of English; other languages and in particular Dutch considered a bonus

Excellent organisational skills and an eye for detail

Readiness for occasional travel within Europe, as required

Flexibility and enthusiasm for working on a variety of administration and content-related tasks

Offer

We offer a fulltime employment contract of one year with a competitive salary, in line with the experience of the successful candidate. 

KU Leuven seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, age, cultural background, nationality or impairments. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support, please contact us at [email protected]

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Kurt Willems, tel.: +32 16 37 77 79, mail: [email protected].

Candidates who wish to apply for the position should submit the following information:

Application letter, explaining your strengths as a candidate and specifically outlining your motivations for the position

A current CV, no longer than two pages

DEADLINE for application : 21 February 2023 to start as soon as possible (preferably immediately)

KU Leuven seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, age, cultural background, nationality or impairments. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support, please contact us at [email protected].