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SURF has established a new team focused on AI and data in education and is looking for a team leader to provide direction, connect people, and build sustainable innovation and service development around this theme. In a dynamic playing field with a major social impact, you will bring focus, cohesion, and leadership. Are you a people-oriented leader who enjoys working in a rapidly changing environment and wants to make an impact at the national level? Then this is the challenge for you.

Where you will work

SURF is the IT cooperative for Dutch educational and research institutions. Together with them, we work on digital services and complex innovation challenges to enhance the quality of education and research. We do this in close collaboration with the sector, with an eye for public values, openness, and sustainability.

Those who work at SURF work for a unique and open organization. You can see this in everything: the structure of the organization, the setup of the project teams, the culture in our offices, and the atmosphere among colleagues. SURF offers excellent terms of employment and is flexible when it comes to work/life balance. Employees enjoy working independently. In addition, everyone is given the space and freedom to use and develop their talents as effectively and broadly as possible.

The team you will join

The AI & Data in Education team is a new team within the Accessible and Open Education & Research unit. The team launched in April, and most team members already knew each other from the Educational Innovation team. It focuses on sustainable service development and innovation in the field of AI and data for education, with work conducted partly or entirely under the Npuls banner. Future services developed under Npuls may fall under this team’s purview.

What unites the team is the ambition to deploy AI and data in education in a responsible, effective, and sector-wide manner. As team lead, you play a key role in shaping the team’s direction, identity, and composition.

What you will do

As the AI & Data in Education Team Lead, you will manage a team of professionals and ensure that the team effectively contributes to the strategic goals of SURF and Npuls, while also overseeing future service developments. In a dynamic environment where opportunities, complex challenges, and diverse interests converge, you will provide direction and foster collaboration. You are the central figure for AI and data in education within SURF, ensuring the AI strategy is implemented, strengthening collaboration with Npuls, and fostering cohesion within the organization.

Other responsibilities:

• You lead the team and encourage professional development.
• You expand the team and carry out strategic workforce planning.
• You ensure the team’s reliable and high-quality performance and coordinate with internal and external stakeholders.
• You draw up the annual plan and budget and monitor planning, resources, and implementation, including reporting.
• You contribute substantively to projects, service development, and strategic explorations.
• You will maintain close collaboration with colleagues within SURF who work on AI and data, as well as with teams and programs such as Npuls.
• You will represent SURF in strategic consultations with external partners and at sector-wide meetings.
• You will contribute to the direction of the Accessible and Open Education & Research unit and of SURF as a whole.

Your skills and experience

You are a strategic and people-oriented leader who provides direction in a complex and rapidly changing field. You combine vision with decisiveness, bring people and perspectives together, and know how to balance technology, organizational needs, and social values.

In addition, you have:

• A university-level education and way of thinking.
• Experience leading professionals and developing teams.
• Comfort in a dynamic and complex environment.
• The ability to switch between strategic thinking and practical execution.
• Strong interpersonal skills, both within and outside the organization.
• Compelling communication skills.
• Several years of relevant experience and sufficient substantive knowledge of data (and AI) in education to develop direction and vision
• Experience with service development is a plus
• Experience with innovation projects is a plus
• An eye for the social and ethical dimensions of AI and data and the ability to navigate tensions between different values and interests.

SURF takes pleasure in doing its recruitment itself; acquisition is therefore not appreciated.

Would you like to help build a strong, cohesive HR organization and contribute to SURF’s broader development as an employer? SURF is looking for an experienced HR Business Partner who understands the field, can take the HR team to the next level, and can develop their own area of expertise.

Where you will work

SURF is the IT cooperative for Dutch educational and research institutions. With approximately 650 colleagues, SURF works on digital innovation for education and research. As a Senior HR Business Partner, you will make a direct contribution to the development of teams, leadership, and the organization, while also helping to further professionalize the HR team itself (and the team of HR Business Partners in particular).

Working at SURF means working for a unique and open organization. This is evident in everything: the structure of the organization, the setup of the project teams, the culture in our offices, and the atmosphere among colleagues. SURF offers excellent terms of employment and a flexible approach to work/life balance. Employees enjoy working independently. In addition, everyone is given the space and freedom to use and develop their talents as effectively and broadly as possible.

The team you will join

You will be part of the HR team, which consists of an HR manager, HR Business Partners, HR staff, colleagues focused on external hiring, recruiters, and trainees. Together, we are building a forward-thinking HR organization. The HR team is evolving rapidly: we are working toward a model in which every HRBP is a full-fledged business partner and manages their own area of expertise, such as Learning & Development, Talent Management, Strategic Workforce

Planning, or Performance Management. We determine the distribution of these areas of expertise together with the team, with your own expertise and interests playing a key role.
As a Senior HRBP, you will also be given a specific assignment: to help further shape, professionalize, and position the HRBP team within SURF. In doing so, you will not only be a strong individual contributor but also a team builder.

What you will do

As an HR Business Partner, you serve as a strategic advisor to the management of one or more business units. You advise and support management and teams, and translate organizational goals into concrete HR strategies in the areas of workforce readiness, development, performance, and organizational change. At the same time, you contribute to the ongoing development of the HR team and help shape one of the HR areas of expertise.

Your other responsibilities include:

• Advising management on issues related to development, performance, employability, and organizational structure;
• Managing complex HR cases within your business unit(s);
• Translating organizational strategy into concrete HR interventions and policies;
• Helping to shape the development, working methods, and positioning of the HR team;
• Contributing to the further structuring and expansion of your area of expertise, in close collaboration with fellow HRBPs;
• Fostering a learning organization culture;
• Supporting employees and managers through coaching and career development.

Your skills and experience

You are an experienced HR professional who effortlessly bridges the gap between strategy and execution. With your solid background as an HR Business Partner, you know how to translate organizational goals into concrete HR initiatives. You combine substantive expertise with organizational awareness and thrive in a fast-paced environment. Moreover, you know how to engage others, whether it’s the management you advise or the colleagues in the HRBP team you work with.

In addition, you have:

• At least 7 years of experience as an HR Business Partner or senior HR advisor;
• Affinity with and/or experience in one or more HR areas of expertise such as Learning & Development, Talent Management, Strategic Workforce Planning, or Performance Management;
• University-level education and thinking;
• Strategic insight and the ability to build connections;
• Experience with stakeholder management in an environment with diverse interests (e.g., Works Council, management, professionals);
• The ability to independently build and position an area of expertise within the organization;
• Excellent command of the Dutch and English languages.

Prior to starting this job, a VOG must be presented.

SURF takes pleasure in doing its recruitment itself; acquisition is therefore not appreciated.