Scientific Events Manager - Danish Data Science Academy (DDSA)

Can you plan and execute community-building scientific events?

We are looking for a colleague to design, plan and execute events ranging from our annual big conference for 500 people to PhD MeetUps and courses for smaller groups of people. 

The job

The DDSA organizes events with the aim of strengthening and consolidating the Danish data science community, and we achieve this through a portfolio of recurrent and ad-hoc events and mentoring networks. You will drive the planning and execution of these – in collaboration with your colleagues in the secretariat, and specific scientific / organising committees per event. You know from experience that the meticulous planning of every detail, big or small, is essential to ensure the professional execution you take pride in.

Your primary responsibilities cover: 

• Lead, design, and execute activities/events from strategic planning, facilitation to evaluation and financial follow-up (e.g. annual conference, annual celebration event, PhD MeetUps) 
• The biggest reoccurring event is the DDSA Annual Meeting, which takes place annually for 500 attendees. It consists of plenary and parallel sessions with both local and international speakers, mini-symposia on specific topics, hackathons/practical sessions, educational sessions, networking opportunities, and poster sessions. You are the overarching project manager on this event, and will drive ad hoc event steering & organising committees, as well as support the scientific program committee
• Another reoccurring event is our PhD MeetUp series, which we plan to have 1-2 events per year, and potentially expand the portfolio with also events targeting Postdocs
• Other events can be initiated on ad hoc basis by our broad organization, e.g. workshops, training/mentoring events, networking initiatives, competitions, hackathons. 
• Lead ad hoc project teams though workplans and general resource mgmt 
• Financial management: oversee and administer event budgets
• Supporting the DDSA Young Academy Panel (YAP)

Further ideas for events can arise from our governing bodies, e.g. the DDSA Education & Networking Committee, where your task would be to take part in maturing and execute their decided events and activities – in close collaboration with scientific-content responsibles from the data science community, and your colleagues in the DDSA Secretariat.

Your new team

We are a young organization, having existed for 2 years only, with a secretariat of 9 people supporting the broader DDSA organisation of 75 people, including Board of Directors, awarding committees and advisory panels. 

It is important you thrive in an environment where you take an active part in establishing how we operate. We are highly collaborative and take pride in helping each other. We’re always trying out new things, as individuals and as a team, and we learn as we go. 

Our expectations of you

We are looking for you who are engaged and positive with relevant experience with scientific event planning and scientific communities, and who has a desire to contribute to the visions of DDSA. If you are versatile and enjoy driving tasks independently, we are eager to welcome you into our team. You have an eye for detail and take pride in always delivering high professional quality. You further have the ability to prioritise which task to tackle first in a vibrant environment. 

Moreover, we are looking for:

• Excel in project management
• Experience with academic environments and scientific community building
• Actively works with prioritisation, planning and coordination
• Experience with financial mgmt.
• Good at creating structure and overview, and completing within agreed timeframes
• Thrive with having many active parallel tasks
• Team oriented – and able to independently manage own task portfolio
• Thrive in an active, collaborative working environment
• Networking: develop, maintain and map relationships across the community and the landscape of stakeholders
• Excellent in spoken and written English

What we offer in return

• A team of highly passionate and skilled colleagues
• Exciting and challenging tasks with lots of room for your ideas
• A job in a flat, informal, collaborative organization with room for creative thinking and experimenting
• An environment that encourages continuous development and skill-building

We are hosted at DTU Compute, where the Chairman of our Board of Directors is also situated – and we work for growing Danish data science across all Danish universities, public and private sectors. We thrive with being part of a vibrant Data Science research organization, which also has a strong administration on which we can lean and learn from.

Salary and appointment terms

The position is full-time, with a project employment until 31 December 2026. Starting date is 1 June 2024 (or according to mutual agreement). 

The workplace is DTU Lyngby Campus and will involve national travelling as our events will cater to all of Denmark, and hence can take place anywhere in Denmark. 

Salary and appointment terms are in accordance with either:

• the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). You are employed as an Academic Officer or
• the OAO-S Joint Agreement and the organization agreement for Office Clerks, Laboratory Technicians and IT staff (HK/stat). The content of the position will be adapted to the selected candidate.

Application and contact

Please submit your online application no later than 3 April 2024 (23:59 Danish time)

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Open the “Apply now” link, fill out the form and attach your motivated application, CV and exam certificates. 

If you would like additional information about the position, , please contact Managing Director, Sofie Castella, on +45 9351 1120 of at sofieddsa.dk

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Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.

About the Danish Data Science Academy

The Novo Nordisk Foundation and the VILLUM FOUNDATION have awarded in excess of DKK 180 mill. to establish a national Data Science Academy, which will unite and strengthen stakeholders within research institutions, business, public service and organisations. The primary purpose of the Academy is to support education and training of the next generations of Data Science experts as well as creating an internationally competitive Danish Data Science environment. The DDSA is hosted at DTU Compute and supports activities across the national Data Science community and at all Danish Universities. 

Technology for people

DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.