Graduate Studies Office Coordinator - Ref. "GSC NOV 23"

Champalimaud Foundation (Fundação D. Anna de Sommer Champalimaud e Dr. Carlos Montez Champalimaud), a private, non-profit research institution in Lisbon, Portugal, is looking for a Graduate Studies Office Coordinator to join our team at the Champalimaud Research Programme. Since the beginning, Champalimaud Research has regarded educating future scientists as one of its main objectives. To this end, the CR has been dedicating considerable efforts to the development and implementation of outstanding educational programmes, including world-class Ph.D. programmes, advanced courses, and workshops. The selected candidate will join the Graduate Studies Office team and contribute significantly to this goal.

The selected candidate will

- Report to the Director of Education and the Managing Director at the Champalimaud Research Programme.

Main responsibilities include

- Ensure and enhance academic quality standards by aligning with the Director of Education and course directors, engaging with students and faculty, and benchmarking against other institutions. 
- Revise and enhance policy documents and rules for Graduate Studies and enhance communication of Ph.D. program requirements to students and faculty. 
- Collaborate on and contribute to the development of the PhD core training curriculum. 
- Enhance internal and external visibility and engagement of the Graduate School through presentations, written communication to students, faculty, and external partners.

1) Institutional academic liaison
- Maintaining a good communication channel with the Ph.D. programme degree-granting institutions;
- Communicating and implementing academic requirements to the student & faculty;
- Keeping adequate records and compliance for external evaluation and accreditation purposes (A3ES);

2) Fellowship management and support
- Tracking and reviewing funding agency documentation for each doctoral fellowship call (FCT; "la Caixa", BIF, etc.) and preparing support materials for applicants;
- Supporting applications internally (approval steps);
- Supporting applicants with compliance and non-scientific review of proposal/project, CV editing, and motivation letters;
- Assisting successful applicants in contract negotiation with funding agencies;
- Ensuring student and faculty compliance with funding institution (documentation and reports);
- Managing yearly fellowship renewals;

3) Doctoral programme management and compliance
- Coordinating and facilitating graduate student recruitment (Call, Open House & Interviews);
- Assisting with foreign degree recognition & grade conversion to the Portuguese system;
- Planning and conducting onboarding and orientation sessions for new graduate students; 
- Ensuring that students are advised about programme(s) requirements, scheduling of courses, rotations, attendance, and evaluation;
- Providing graduate student mentorship and appropriate, timely enrollment, progression, and graduation;
- Collecting information from students, faculty, and institutions by implementing annual student and faculty satisfaction surveys and performing statistical analysis for reporting purposes;
- Managing communications between faculty and graduate students;
- Keeping an updated record of thesis committee meetings' scheduling and reporting;  
- Working with the CF data protection officer to ensure data protection and appropriately handling student documents, records, and information;
- Coordinating with CR Managing Director the PhD programme(s) resource allocation and budget(s);
- Providing logistic support in the student organisation of the annual advanced courses and student social events;
- Processing orders, invoices, and payments for teaching lab resources as well as student-related resources and expenses;

4) Summer course organisation (Cajal & other training initiatives)
- Liaising with course central administration, course directors, and teaching lab coordinator to ensure timely elaboration of course budget and documentation;
- Organising course applicants’ documents for review by the course directors;
- Negotiating suitable accommodation, catering & transportation for students, faculty, and tutors;
- Making travel arrangements for faculty and tutors – Handling flight booking & reimbursements;
- Providing an adequate and appealing social program;
- Working with the teaching lab coordinator to order necessary lab resources and deal with corresponding invoices and payments;
- Coordinating course daily logistics – contact suppliers, manage orders, set up spaces, request cleaning services, among others;
- Elaboration of the final report, with the collaboration of the course directors.

Application start date

November 21st, 2023

Application closing date

Open until filled

Requirements

Research Field

Biological sciences » Other

Education Level

PhD or equivalent, Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

- Experience of working in a research environment is a plus;
- Strong previous experience of project management and event organisation;

Minimum qualifications

Candidates must be educated at the bachelor's level and have an excellent command of English and Portuguese.

Essential skills

- Excellent communication and organisational skills;
- Excellent presentations and demonstration skills;
- Ability to meet tight deadlines and maintain consistently excellent performance even during periods of increased demand;
- Proactiveness and resourcefulness;
- Positive attitude and high level of self-motivation.

A high level of resilience is essential, as well as the ability to take a longer-term view. We seek a good team player who can make the Graduate Studies Office professional, innovative, and rewarding for all involved.

Desirable skills that will also be considered

- Previous experience in academic programme management;
- Previous experience with graduate fellowship application processes.

Benefits

- Competitive remuneration package commensurate with skills, qualifications, and experience;
- Total immersion into a research excellence ecosystem with highly motivated researchers supported by state-of-the-art technology and continuous development opportunities.

Maximum allowable duration of the contract including the respective renewals OR Initial duration

12 months with possibility of renewal.

Eligibility criteria

- National, Foreign or Stateless candidate(s) who hold a Bachelor’s degree and a scientific and professional curriculum that reveals a profile appropriate to the activity to be developed. 
- In case of PhD degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions, the degree must comply with the provisions of Decree-Law No. 341/2007, of 12th of October, and all formalities established therein must be fulfilled by the deadline for application submission.

Selection process

- Candidates will be screened to determine eligibility based on minimum qualifications listed in call. Candidates meeting minimum requirements will be scored according to the required application materials:  Curriculum vitae 60%, letter of motivation 40%. Top-scoring applications will be interviewed and final decision will be based on the interview score.  
- If provided, and if shortlisted, candidates’ referees may be contacted and may count towards evaluation. 

Evaluation Committee members

Isabel Palmeirim
Maria Teresa Dias
Philipp Tsolakis
José Mario Leite

Application materials

- CV and letter of motivation indicating 2 references (one single pdf document). 
- Proof of qualifications (certificates) may be required at a later date for the formalisation of the contract agreement. Degrees obtained abroad may need to be formally recognised in Portugal. 

How to apply

- Candidates must complete the standard application form and submit a single annexed PDF document containing the application materials stated in the call. 
- The call reference will be asked, and not having may invalidate your submission. This call reference is: "GSC NOV 23"
- Printed applications are also accepted, sent, or handed to the Fellows Support Office at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Avenida Brasília, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.

Notification of results

- All candidates will receive a receipt of acknowledgment within 7-10 business days.The highest-scoring candidate will be notified by email or telephone. All other candidates will be notified solely by email of the outcome of the recruitment process.
- After being notified, candidates will have 10 working days to present a claim for redress by email (careers@research.fchampalimaud.org). If the Champalimaud Foundation receives no claim, the Evaluation Committee's decision will become definitive.

About Us

Research is at the heart of the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, a modern research and clinical facility situated on the waterfront in Lisbon, Portugal. The goal of Champalimaud Research (CR) is to perform world-leading fundamental and translational research. Current research work is focused on the fields of neuroscience, physiology and cancer.  Champalimaud Research comprises a team of over 400 scientists from around the world. English is the official language of the Centre. Lisbon’s sunny Atlantic Mediterranean climate, vibrant culture and high quality of life make this a great place to live and work.

Relevant Institutional Information

In line with our community guidelines and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy and Gender Equality Plan, no candidate may be privileged, favored, prejudiced or deprived of any right or excluded from any duty on the basis of age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, disability, chronic illness, language, nationality, territory of origin, family status (marital, pregnancy and maternity, having or not having dependents), socioeconomic situation, education, religion, political or ideological beliefs,  trade union membership, or on any other grounds which are irrelevant to decision-making.

HR Excellence in Research

Legal Notices

The present call has the sole purpose of filling the indicated research position. This call may be canceled at any time on or before the jury’s evaluation of all eligible candidates and the recruitment process shall be concluded on the day of the full execution of the contract between the Champalimaud Foundation and the selected candidate.