Grants Advisor

Come join us at IXA-GO as a Grants Advisor and strengthen the continuous development of VU’s research excellence.

Your function

The Grants Advisor will work with VU Amsterdam researchers from all faculties on developing competitive project proposals for national and European funding programmes, with a focus on consortium grants.

As a Grants Advisor, you will guide researchers in structuring persuasive, competitive research proposals that align with funder and institutional priorities and in managing the development of complex, interdisciplinary, and multi-partner submissions. Depending on the project’s nature, you will work both independently and in a matrix team of grant advisors, programme managers, and project controllers. You will also deliver targeted communications and information sessions to keep researchers informed about relevant funding calls, deadlines, and strategic opportunities.

Your tasks

• Advice VU researchers on national and European grant applications, both individual and collaborative.
• Identify and promote funding schemes that align with VU and faculty strategies.
• Organize and deliver information sessions and workshops about funding schemes and procedures tailored to different disciplines or career stages.
• Work closely with grant advisors, business and impact developers, and programme managers at IXA-GO to deliver coordinated support for targeted funding programmes and calls.
• Collaborate with other VU support units (Project Control, Legal, Faculty research support offices, University Library, etc.) to ensure integrated support across the entire funding application process.
• Build and maintain deep expertise on national and European research funding landscape, current research activities at VU and funder priorities.
• Monitor project performance, identify bottlenecks and propose improvements.
• Contribute to team development by supporting and mentoring colleagues.

Your profile

• Master or PhD degree, preferably in life sciences & health or in a discipline related to sustainability & climate or societal justice.
• Proven experience with the Dutch and European funding landscape, especially with collaborative grants.
• Understanding of academic research culture and the organizational context of a university, including governance structures and regulations.
• Excellent communication and advisory skills in English and Dutch (professional working proficiency or higher)
• Knowledge of the different stages of proposal development.
• Service-oriented mindset with the ability to anticipate researcher needs and support them in collaborating with non-academic partners.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative working environment.

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 Knowledge Valorisation Officer 3. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• a position for at least 0.8 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 1 year, with the possibility of changing it to a permanent position after 12 months, subject to good performance.

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
• space for personal development, including through membership to professional associations such as ARMA-NL and EARMA
• the possibility to work partly from home
• possibility to save holiday hours, for sabbatical leave

About us

IXA-GO (Innovation Exchange Amsterdam - Grants Office)
At IXA-GO, the knowledge transfer and grants office of VU Amsterdam, we help researchers turn knowledge into impact. Our team identifies funding opportunities, supports researchers in building a strong proposal, and if relevant introduces them to the right network and consortia. If an innovation requires it, we also offer support with IP protection and provide guidance on the various valorisation routes and opportunities. Our team includes grants officers, business and impact developers, programme managers, and communication specialists.