Postdoc on Investigating the ICT Landscape for Social and Community-driven Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (1.0 FTE)

Join the Department of Information and Computing Sciences (ICS) of Utrecht University as Postdoc! The department is nationally and internationally renowned for its fundamental and applied research in computer science and information science. In our constantly changing (digital) society, we are continually looking for new, realistic ways to push the boundaries of both science and societal applications. We contribute to innovative information technologies through the development and application of new concepts, theories, algorithms, and software methods. With our expertise, we nourish a wide range of interdisciplinary and societal collaboration initiatives. One of these initiatives is the Boosting Social and Community-driven Entrepreneurship for the Transition to an Inclusive and Sustainable Society (SCENTISS ) project.
Among the project partners, you will find top institutions, social entrepreneurship and community entrepreneurship initiatives (e.g. Social Enterprise NL , Impact030 , Impact Noord , Starters4Communities , City Deal Impact Ondernemen , Platform31 , KplusV , DRK Foundation , Nederland Zorgt Voor Elkaar (NLZVE), Dutch Knowledge Network for Social Entrepreneurship (KSON)), as well as representatives of several provinces (namely Brabant, Utrecht, Groningen), cities (namely, Amsterdam, Utrecht) and researchers from several Dutch universities and hogeschools coming from different disciplines (e.g. Economics, Social Science, Governance). So this promises to be an exciting post-doc project! During the project, you will get to meet representatives of several of these organisations.
As part of this project, the Software for Organisational Responsibility Lab investigates the ICT landscape for social and community-driven entrepreneurial ecosystems. The main deliverables are the following:

• two open-source impact management software tools, which are already being developed by an industrial partner:
  • a model-driven impact measurement software tool, that allows assessing, auditing and visualising the sustainability performance of organisations;
  • a configurable repository of good practices to enable the continuous improvement of organisations;
• several academic publications based on the real-life usage of such tools by social entrepreneurship and community entrepreneurship initiatives, and the effects of such tools in their strategic management and stakeholder engagement practices.

Your tasks and responsibilities include:

• investigating the state of the art and practice in impact management methods and tools;
• eliciting requirements from consortium stakeholders, regarding the two SCENTISS tools;
• architecting and designing new advanced features for both tools;
• testing and validating both software tools by applying them in real-life settings;
• producing knowledge about the usage and impact of the tools within the social and community-driven entrepreneurial ecosystems;
• conducting impact measurement projects with SCIENTISS partners;
• co-author publications reporting on the results.

Moreover, you will:

• be part of a research team in the Software for Organisational Responsibility Lab and the SCENTISS ;
• be an active member of the Software division, within the Information and Computing Sciences department;
• co-organise multiple workshops, focus groups, and colloquia;
• attend research team meetings (home officing on other days is possible).

You are not required to teach but will be given the opportunity to do so if desired.

We are looking for an enthusiastic colleague who:

• has research expertise or evidence of a strong interest in information science, and sustainability assessment and reporting;
• holds a completed PhD in Information or Computer Science or in a related subject (prior to appointment), or whose supervisor attests that the PhD dissertation will be submitted before the starting date;
• is interested in collaborative team research with opportunities to shape your own research and teaching career;
• has proficiency in English.

The following skills are nice to have:

• experience with conceptual modelling and model-driven development;
• knowledge of sustainability accounting and reporting;
• proficiency in Dutch;
• knowledge of Eclipse Xtext or textual grammars in general.

We offer:

• a top-class research environment within a broad and international network;
• a full-time position (1.0 FTE) for two years;
• a full-time gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience - ranging from €3,226 to €5,090 in scale 10 of the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities (CAO);
• 8% holiday bonus and 8.3% end-of-year bonus;
• A pension scheme, partially paid parental leave, and flexible employment conditions based on the CAO.

In addition to the employment conditions from the CAO for Dutch Universities, Utrecht University has a number of its own arrangements. These include agreements on professional development , leave arrangements, sports and cultural schemes and you get discounts on software and other IT products. We also give you the opportunity to expand your terms of employment through the Employment Conditions Selection Model. This is how we encourage you to grow. For more information, please visit working at Utrecht University .

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University , the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes . Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Shaping science, sharing tomorrow .
At the Faculty of Science , there are 6 departments to make a fundamental connection with: Biology, Chemistry, Information and Computing Sciences, Mathematics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Physics. Each of these is made up of distinct institutes that work together to focus on answering some of humanity’s most pressing problems. More fundamental still are the individual research groups – the building blocks of our ambitious scientific projects. Find out more about us on YouTube.
Department of Information and Computing Sciences is nationally and internationally known for its research in computer science and information science. The department provides and contributes to a number of undergraduate and research Master's programmes in the fields of Computer Science, Information Science, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. It employs over 200 people in four divisions: Artificial Intelligence & Data Science, Algorithms, Interaction, and Software. The atmosphere is collegial and informal.

If you have any position-specific questions that you’d like us to answer, please contact Dr Sergio España at [email protected] .
Do you have a general question about the application procedure? Please send an email to [email protected] .
The position is available immediately. A short-term start date is preferred. If you are excited about the vacancy, apply at your earliest convenience. We will close the vacancy as soon as we have found a suitable candidate.
Are you an international applicant? Find out more about what our International Service desk does and for more info about the what and how on living in the Netherlands .

As Utrecht University, we want to be a home for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.
If you are enthusiastic about this position, just apply via the 'Apply now' button. Please enclose, as pdf(s):

• your letter of motivation (max. 2 pages);
• your curriculum vitae;
• the names, positions, affiliations, telephone numbers, and email addresses of at least three references–these will only be contacted to provide reference letters if the candidate is invited for an interview;
• a copy of your PhD certificate, or a letter from your university stating when your defence will take place;
• a transcript of the most recent degree before your PhD.

If this specific opportunity is not for you, but you know someone else who may be interested, please forward this vacancy to them.
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