Project Manager - European Partnership

About Ghent University

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state‑of‑the‑art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

Ghent University has a strong reputation worldwide for its research and innovation activities in the field of animal health. Its Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was number one in the world (global Shanghai Ranking) between 2017 and 2022. This is the result of a strong and multidisciplinary collaboration and teamwork.

For the first time, UGent is coordinating a European Partnership. The EUP AH&W already started its activities on January 1st, 2024 and will extend them up to 2033 (its extension amendment process is starting). The partnership will count over 90 partners across 26 EU and non‑EU countries.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated EUP AH&W Project Manager (PM) who will support the coordinator and deputy coordinator in their administrative and scientific tasks. This person will further consolidate the implementation of the EUP AH&W for the coming years.

The EUP AH&W PM will report to the EUP AH&W coordinators and will be part of the ‘Coordination Support Office’. The person will have a non‑repetitive job, with varied activities, ranging from writing activity reports to congress/meeting organisation, managing contacts with the partners and reporting on the Funding & Tender portal of the European Commission (EC). He/she will learn how to write minutes of meetings, organise meeting agendas and Teams or in‑person meetings, with the support of the coordinators who are experienced project managers.

This function can include travelling abroad at least once a year.

In this role, you will:

• Support all administrative tasks required for managing the Grant Agreement of the EUP AH&W.
• Help with the communication with project partners, making and updating contact lists.
• Learn how to use SharePoint, manage access to partners and be a contact point for questions from the partners, in close collaboration with the coordinators.
• Organise the logistics matters of Partnership meetings, such as the meeting agendas, background documentation and minute taking, but also the meeting logistics (request offers/contracts with the meeting venues, make the participant's list, the badges, etc).
• Monitor the deadlines of the deliverables and milestones of the Partnership closely and request partners about those. Check their overall quality and report to the coordinators.
• Support the Coordinators regarding the internal process for publications.
• Set up, with the Coordinators and the Management Team, a Policy Task Force to support better communication between the Partnership and policy makers.
• Connect and keep relationships with international organisations and networks involved in AH or AW.
• Work together with Work Package 5 (Communication, education, exploitation, dissemination) for some activities and develop high‑quality templates for reporting and dissemination activities.

This position will enable you to develop a key position in the UGent EUP AH&W Coordination Support Office team and to build a strong international network.

The person is enthusiastic and committed to playing an active role in delivering the goals of this new European Partnership for better animal health and welfare across Europe.

• PhD in Veterinary Medicine or Bioscience Engineering (animal‑related).
• Experience as a Project Manager, preferably in an EU‑funded project, is a plus.
• Experience in the management of projects dealing with international networks in Animal Health and/or Welfare.
• Being able to work accurately, independently, as well as in a team, is essential.
• Be reliable, meticulous,…