Strategic Communications Manager for Space Research Institute

Are you our new colleague?

We are seeking a highly qualified Strategic Communications Manager to join our team at the SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research. As an accomplished professional in corporate communications, you will be responsible for providing direction to our institute's strategic communication, ensuring our mission and strategy are delivered with maximum impact.

You and SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research

SRON is a world leader in space research and is committed to advancing our understanding of space and its phenomena, as well as the study of Earth from space. Our mission is to achieve breakthroughs in our field and to enable and support the space research community, both here in the Netherlands and worldwide. Effective communications are an indispensable part of fulfilling that mission. We are therefore looking for a communication manager with strategic vision. Someone who can plan, develop, and implement effective corporate communication strategies to increase our impact and drive our mission.

Your position and team

We are seeking an experienced Strategic Communications Manager with exceptional advisory, steering, and planning skills to join our Communication & Media Relations department. Working with a small team, you will be responsible for developing and implementing a corporate communication policy that aligns with our mission and strategy, and for providing expert advice and guidance to our researchers and other contributors. As the Strategic Communications Manager, you will work closely with the SRON senior management team and report directly to the Director.

Your project

We are looking for someone with the ability to not only create and execute an effective corporate communications policy, but with the experience to identify emerging issues relevant for the institute and adapt that policy accordingly. Designing and executing this policy will require building and maintaining relationships inside SRON and with a wide range of external stakeholders including the research community, government, and industry.

Position requirements

• Experience developing strategic and corporate communication policy
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, spoken and in writing
• Fluency in both Dutch and English
• Managerial and leadership experience
• Familiarity with modern communication tools, channels, and methods
• Strong network in science, communication, government, and media is an advantage
• Relevant experience in a scientific research environment is desirable

What we offer

Employment of this position is by NWO (The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research) for 28-40 hours per week for an initial period of two years, but with the expectation of an indefinite contract following a satisfactory performance evaluation. The position will be based at our Leiden location but with regular travel to our Groningen location. We offer an excellent work environment with our creative and passionate staff in our beautiful, modern labs in Leiden and Groningen (new construction in Groningen is coming in 2026). We offer flexible working conditions including working from home opportunities and a nice number of vacation days. You will be employed by NWO-I, of which SRON is a part, and will be covered by the collective labor agreement for research institutes.  This position falls in scale 12 (maximum €6.355,- gross per month on a full-time basis).

Why SRON

NWO-I has good secondary employment conditions such as:

• An end of year bonus of 8,33% of the gross yearly salary
• 42 days of vacation leave a year on full-time basis
• An excellent pension scheme
• Options for (additional) personal development
• A holiday allowance of 8% of the gross yearly salary
• Ample training opportunities
• Possibility of flexible working hours
• A favorable parental leave scheme

About SRON

SRON is the Netherlands Institute for Space Research. Based at locations in Leiden and Groningen, SRON combines fundamental scientific research, technology innovation, and instrumentation development to enable breakthroughs in astrophysics, exoplanet research, and earth atmospheric research from space. In partnership with leading international partners and space agencies such as ESA, NASA and JAXA, SRON provides scientific and technological contributions to international space missions as well as expertise and support to the Dutch and international scientific communities.

SRON is the national base for the Netherlands participation in the ESA science program. On the national level, it works in close collaboration with the Dutch universities, other NWO institutes, and governmental agencies to pursue a cohesive agenda for space-based research.

At SRON, we are committed to diversity in the workplace and an inclusive culture. We explicitly invite people from all conceivable backgrounds to apply. Everyone is different and has unique talents. We embrace that diversity and believe it makes us stronger, more innovative, and enriches our institute. We therefore strongly encourage qualified applicants of all ages, sexual orientations, gender expressions, members of minorities, persons with disabilities, or other non-traditional backgrounds to apply.

For more information, please contact

More information about SRON can be found at www.sron.nl. For further information about the position itself, please contact Prof. dr. Michael Wise (m.w.wise@sron.nl), SRON General and Scientific Director. For information on the employment conditions please contact HR Manager Sandra van Gessel (s.b.e.van.gessel@sron.nl).

To submit an application, please visit our job website at https://werkenbijsron.nl. This vacancy will remain open until filled.

Furthermore

Online screening may be part of the selection procedure.

Recruitment consultants, please put down the phone. We’ll do the recruitment ourselves so unsolicited acquisition to this vacancy is not appreciated.