Community Manager – Research Software Directory (0.8–1.0 FTE)

The Netherlands eScience Center is looking for a new colleague to support the community of the Research Software Directory (RSD).

Supported by the Open Science NL Infrastructure programme, which strengthens open science infrastructure in the Netherlands, we are offering a temporary position for a community manager for a maximum of four years, reflecting the temporary nature of the role and its funding. In this position you will support our activities with the RSD community. If you are passionate about open science, open source research software, enjoy connecting people and organizing events, and want to help show the impact of research software, this is the perfect opportunity for you!

Who are we?

The Netherlands eScience Center is the national centre for innovative software solutions in academic research. We aim to bridge the gap in knowledge and expertise between digital technologies on the one hand and scientific and scholarly inquiry on the other. We create the tools and digital methodologies that enable researchers across all disciplines to answer research questions, harnessing our unique blend of academic expertise and software development skills.

We attach great importance to software quality and sustainability, and academic recognition of research software. This led us to develop the Research Software Directory, an open-source online platform that highlights the impact of research software by aggregating information about the software itself, related research outputs, societal impact, and the people and organisations involved. The RSD has been adopted by a large number of research organizations nationally and internationally and currently contains information on hundreds of research software items, thousands of developers, and hundreds of thousands related research outputs.

The eScience Center stands for a research-focused, professional, collaborative, open and resourceful approach to everything we do, and we require that our staff can identify with these values. Our people have a diverse background in education, gender, nationality, and ethnicity. Together, we form an inclusive group with a common drive.

What will you do?

As the RSD Community Manager, you will play a key role in building, engaging, and strengthening the RSD community in the Netherlands and internationally. You will help connect users, stakeholders, project partners, and developers to ensure that the RSD continues to meet the needs of its growing community.

Your work will focus on the activities and deliverables defined in the Open Science Infrastructure projects related to the RSD. This includes developing community engagement activities, organising events and training sessions, gathering and translating user feedback, and contributing to the long-term sustainability and governance of the RSD.

You will:

Build and maintain effective relationships between RSD project partners, stakeholders, users, developers, and colleagues across the eScience Center.
Increase awareness of the value and impact of research software, reproducible research, and open science within the Netherlands and internationally.
Strengthen the visibility, adoption, and engagement of the RSD among research organisations, research communities, and other open science infrastructures.
Facilitate collaboration between the RSD community, project partners, and the national and international RSD development team.
Gather and translate community feedback and user requirements into actionable insights and feature requests for the development team, and communicate new developments back to the user community.
Organise community events and activities that foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and engagement among RSD users and stakeholders.
Work with the eScience Center’s Training Coordinators to develop RSD-related training materials and organise training activities.
Contribute to the development of a community strategy, long-term sustainability plan, and governance model for the RSD.

Who are you?

You are an experienced community professional who enjoys working in an international, English-speaking environment and connecting people around open science. You are motivated to support research communities and foster collaboration around open source software and research infrastructure.

You have:

A relevant educational background (HBO/WO) or equivalent professional experience in community management, communication, research support, project coordination, or a related field.
An affinity with academic research, open science, and open source software.
At least four years of relevant professional experience, including building and maintaining professional networks and engaging with diverse stakeholders.
Experience organizing events, outreach activities, or community initiatives aimed at building communities, sharing knowledge, and increasing engagement.
Strong communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills, with the ability to connect people, facilitate collaboration, and translate community needs into actionable insights.
The ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with colleagues, project partners, and community members.

Additional strengths include experience with developing and delivering training materials, working with software development teams, managing online communities or social media channels, and a curiosity to learn from community management approaches in other open science infrastructures.

What we can offer you:

Work at the forefront of cutting-edge international software enhanced research.
Be part of a team of intelligent, collaborative and ambitious people with a passion for academic research.
Extensive opportunity to further develop your professional and personal capacities.
Salary scale 11, based on our Collective Labour Agreement (WVOI Cao-OI), depending on qualifications and expertise.
A temporary contract for 1 year, with the possibility of extension up to a maximum of 4 years. Starting date: as soon as possible.
Excellent secondary benefits: the possibility to work part time, travel and communication allowance, holiday allowance (8%), 42 holidays on a fulltime basis, a year-end bonus (8,33%), personal development budget, fitness plan, bicycle plan and flexible work from home options and facilities.
An informal and creative working environment.
The opportunity to creatively help shape the future of the Research Software Directory and the eScience Center.
Room for initiative and ideas.

Want to join us?

Send your application through Homerun. Your application must contain a CV and a motivation letter. The closing date to apply is 6 September 2026.

Apply now

This vacancy is intended for candidates who are already living and working in the Netherlands. We are not offering international relocation support or visa sponsorship for this position.

For more information about job opportunities at the eScience Center or about the hiring process, send an e-mail to .

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