Senior Postdoctoral Researcher - Research Manager

1 - Working at the VUB

For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike. 

At the VUB, you will find a diverse collection of personalities: innovators pur sang, but above all people who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4,000 employees, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located. 

Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again. 

Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like-minded European universities, all ready to reinvent themselves.

2 - Position description

The Faculty of Engineering, Department Electronics & Informatics, is looking for a postdoctoral researcher. 

More concretely your work package contains: 

The ETRO.RDI research group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is seeking a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher – Research Manager to support the coordination, growth, and outreach activities of a dynamic research group of over 20 researchers led by Prof. Nikos Deligiannis, with a strong focus on innovation-driven research around artificial intelligence for autonomous systems, cooperative autonomous ground and aerial vehicles, intelligent sensing, and healthcare AI.

You will contribute to the management of the research group and to the further development of the research agenda around the ERC Consolidator Grant IONIAN (https://erc-ionian.github.io) and national projects. You will act as a senior right hand to the PI, combining research support, project and team coordination, proposal development, and outreach support. The goal is to enable strong research execution, continued acquisition of external funding, and broader visibility and impact of the group’s activities.

This is a senior, long-term position with opportunities for growth, depending on performance and the further development of the research programme and funding portfolio.

Main responsibilities

Project management

• You contribute actively to the coordination and management of ongoing research projects, including managing project timelines, milestones, and deliverables, coordinating research teams, monitoring research quality, and supporting grant management and reporting;
• You contribute to the financial and administrative follow-up of projects, including budget monitoring, procurement follow-up, and practical support in project execution;

Proposal development and funding acquisition

• You identify and prepare opportunities for competitive funding at regional, national, European, and innovation-oriented levels;
• You contribute actively to the development of new project proposals and funding applications, including drafting, consortium building, and support for external funding acquisition;

External representation and outreach

• You facilitate collaborations with academic, industrial, and public-sector partners, and supporting the broader strategic development of collaborations;
• You assist in preparing and organizing outreach and dissemination activities, such as scientific events, visits, and promotional activities around the group’s research;

Additional/Side responsibilities

Teaching, mentoring, and scientific support

• You provide limited teaching to Master’s students in areas such as project management, reporting, and professional research and innovation practice, in the context of the 3 ECTS course “Soft Skills for Applied Computer Scientists”;
• You contribute, where relevant, to senior technical and scientific support in ongoing research projects and help support the supervision of junior researchers;

For this function, our Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene) will serve as your home base while limited remote work can be considered per week, depending on the group activities.

3 - Profile

What do we expect from you?

Nice to have:

• Your experience in scientific project writing and proposal preparation is a strong asset;
• Fluency in Dutch is preferred. Good knowledge of French is a plus.;
• You have the ability to combine scientific maturity with strong organizational and coordination skills;
• You show an interest in innovation, outreach, and strategic research development;
• Your experience in mentoring or supervising junior researchers is a plus;

• As a (non-)EEA national, meet the conditions for obtaining a valid permit for VUB and comply with the VUB residence requirements. More info here.

The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone's talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity.

4 - Offer

Are you going to be our new colleague?

You’ll be offered a contract, for an assignment of 1 FTE, for 12 months (extendable annually, subject to a positive evaluation of your work, at least until May 2030), with planned starting date 01/10/2026 or as early as possible thereafter.

You will join a leading research ecosystem combining scientific excellence (ERC and Horizon Europe projects), strong industrial and societal collaborations, and high visibility in innovation and valorisation. The group is embedded in imec (www.imec.be) and part of FARI (https://www.fari.brussels), FACT (www.fact-vub.be), and the Flanders AI Research program (www.flandersairesearch.be). This position is conceived as a long-term opportunity with room to grow in responsibility, visibility, and strategic impact as the research program and funding portfolio continue to expand.

You’ll receive a salary linked to one of the scales set by the government.

At the VUB, you’re guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career.

As well as this, you will also enjoy various other benefits:

• Extensive homeworking options, a telework allowance of 50 euros per month OR an internet fee of 20 euros per month;
• An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract), closure between Christmas and New Year and 3 extra leave days;
• Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
• Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, and/or compensation if you come by bike; 
• A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
• Excellent and affordable facilities for sport and exercise, a range of discounts via Benefits@Work (in  all kinds of shops, on flights, in petrol stations, amusement parks...) and Ecocheques; 
• Nursery near campus, discount on holiday camps; 
• The space to form your job content and to continuously learn through our VUB learning platforms and training courses;
• And finally: great colleagues with a healthy drive.

5 - Interested?

Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of?

Then apply, at the latest on 31/07/2026, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:

• your CV;
• your motivation letter;
• your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni).

Our application process is as follows (subject to change):

• step 1: an initial selection based on your application file; 
• step 2: a job interview.

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Nikos Deligiannis at [email protected] or on +3226291683.

Would you like to know what it’s like to work at the VUB? Go to jobs.vub.be, and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues.

Would you like more information about EUTOPIA? Go to eutopia-university.eu, and read more about the role of the VUB in the development of the EUTOPIA alliance.