Nikhef is the Dutch National Institute for Subatomic Physics. The institute performs research into the elementary building blocks of our Universe, their mutual forces and the structure of space and time. Nikhef is a partnership between the Institutes Organization of the Dutch national funding agency (NWO-I) and six universities: Maastricht University, Radboud University, University of Amsterdam, University of Groningen, Utrecht University, and VU Amsterdam. 

The Nikhef partnership is strongly involved in the ALICE, ATLAS and LHCb experiments at CERN, the KM3NeT neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean, the Virgo gravitational waves interferometer in Pisa, the Xenon-nT dark matter experiment in Gran Sasso, the Pierre Auger cosmic ray observatory in Argentina, and the eEDM research programme in Groningen. There are also scientific groups on Theory, Physics Data Processing and Detector R&D. Anticipating the future, Nikhef is involved in the possible realization of the Einstein Telescope research facility in the border region of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Nikhef has excellently equipped technical departments in mechanics, electronics and computing. 

The position

The Nikhef director has the overall responsibility for the institute Nikhef and the partnership. The director operates on a daily basis with a leadership team that includes a scientific strategy manager, an institute manager and a head of human resources. The director reports directly to both the NWO-I Board and Nikhef Board. The Program leaders of the scientific groups of Nikhef, as well as the managers of the technical departments, directly report to the director.

Sailing on a strong scientific compass and building on the expertise of colleagues, the Nikhef director leads the development of the scientific mission and strategic objectives of the Institute. The director is responsible for shaping and leading the collaboration of parties involved in the partnership and gives direction to the joint agenda, resulting in a coherent, impactful and focused scientific research portfolio of the institute. At the same time, the director maintains relations with the international scientific collaborations in which Nikhef participates. These relations include organizations such as CERN and EGO and advisory bodies such as rECFA and ApPEC. Furthermore, the director is ultimately responsible for the operational management of the institute with its (approximately) 220 physicists, 80 engineers and technicians and 40 support staff. Additionally, the director is member of the team of fellow NWO-institute directors, with the goal of maintaining a fruitful connection between institutes and developing a common agenda for NWO-I.

Nikhef is a complex organization in which everything revolves around connection and cooperation between people. The director plays a defining role in this forcefield. The suitable candidate actively embraces and promotes a respectful, safe and inclusive work culture and sets an example in this regard.

Procedure and Offer

NWO-I strives for a diverse workforce: we want to develop talent and creativity by bringing together people from different backgrounds and cultures. We recruit and select based on competences and talents. Therefore, we encourage anyone who identifies with the vacancy, regardless of age, gender, origin, orientation or disability, to apply. Candidates considered for this position will be invited for a series of interviews with a selection committee. After these interviews, the selected candidate will be proposed to the NWO Board and the Nikhef Board. Advice on the appointment will also be sought from the Nikhef Works Council. Once the approval of these bodies has been obtained, the appointment will be effectuated.

The selected candidate will receive a five-year appointment at NWO-I. This appointment may be renewed once for an additional five years. The remuneration and secondary benefits are in accordance with the weight and responsibility associated with this position. Further information on this position can be obtained from prof.dr. Marcel Levi, (chair of the NWO board) m.levi@nwo.nl or drs. Arjen van Rijn (Nikhef institute manager) avr@nikhef.nl . Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply via the NWO-I working at website . The deadline for applications is April 11th, 2024.