Project Manager in EU-funded MSCA Doctoral Network (0.5 FTE)

We offer a 3-year Project Manager position (part-time) for the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) doctoral network project BIODECCODINNG (Decoding novel reaction chemistries in biocatalysis – Training Europe’s next visionaries for a sustainable future), funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme (grant agreement No. 101073065).

The project is established by world-leading experts from European academic institutions and industrial partners that will together implement the research and training agenda. The project will employ 10 PhD students, hosted by several Universities and research institutions from all over Europe, including University of Groningen (NL), University of Göttingen (DE), Ruhr-University Bochum (DE), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH (DE), University of Graz (AT), University of Zagreb (HR) and Catalonia Institute for Advanced Chemistry (ES). The candidate will interact with all the institutions involved in the project.

Scientifically, the project BIODECCODINNG aims to decode novel reaction chemistries from enzymes that are currently not accessible with the existing biocatalyst portfolio for building important molecules such as precursors for pharmaceuticals. Expanding the toolbox of available biocatalysts enabling novel reactions not yet accessible with the existing enzymes is a formidable challenge, but will open exciting new avenues for applications in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The main goal of the BIODECCODINNG doctoral network is to train and educate Europe’s next 10 visionaries for a sustainable future on cutting-edge enzyme technology centered around novel enzymatic reactions, and to tackle technology gaps, practical challenges, as well as to exploit synthetic opportunities with huge innovation potential.

As a Project Manager you will be responsible for the daily management and implementation of the EU project under the direct supervision of the project coordinator Dr Sandy Schmidt (https://myuniversity.rug.nl/infonet/medewerkers/profiles/s.schmidt/) at the University of Groningen (NL). You will play a pivotal liaison role with all internal and external stakeholders within this initiative, spanning all Work Packages (WPs) and tasks related to the projects’ initiative implementation, including:

• monitoring the overall progress regarding milestones and deliverables
• operationalisation and timing of all activities in the project
• acting as the centre of communication between all internal and external stakeholders
• assisting all WP and Task Leaders in their timely delivery of project outcomes and reporting requirements and manage associated budgets
• assisting in the organization of project meetings and training schools
• coordinating the preparation of deliverables, including the technical interim and final reports.

This role presents an exciting opportunity for a project manager to lead on the implementation of this EU project in close cooperation with the partners from the other institutions, internal stakeholders and the financial and business management team at University of Groningen.
The position will be implemented in the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology (https://www.rug.nl/research/grip/cpb/) within the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP) of the University of Groningen (NL).