Are you passionate about sustainability and the role of business in building long-term resilience? Are you interested in an impactful job combining applied research with building and maintaining close connections with sustainability professionals? Do you like organising workshops and events? Let’s meet!

Researcher & Community Coordinator Vlerick Sustainability Centre

Vlerick Business School is a triple-accredited, top-ranked international business school at the heart of Europe – with a solid scientific foundation that provides the backbone for knowledge with lasting impact. Our mission is to ignite an entrepreneurial fire in future leaders – and prepare them to take their next leap as forces for sustainable business across the world.

We are looking for a Researcher interested in combining applied research for business with coordinating activities of our Vlerick Sustainability Centre.

Your mission

• Closely connect with the partners and members of the Vlerick Sustainability Centre. Be receptive to their needs, identify interesting practices, translate these into workshop topics, research, etc.
• Conduct applied research on the topic of sustainability. Translate business needs into research projects and report/present on business-relevant research around the topics of a.o. sustainable value creation, creating and maintaining a sustainability mindset, sustainability reporting, data & target setting, sustainability in the value chain, communication, social sustainability, etc.
• Generate ideas (and bring these ideas to life!) for designing the Vlerick Sustainability Centre’s workshops, webinars and other activities on the theme.
• Provide input for the development of tools.
• Disseminate knowledge by writing (academic) papers, reports, articles and social media posts. Present research findings to both business and academic audiences.
• Strengthen the long-term relationship with our Centre’s member companies by maintaining frequent contact.
• Use your enthusiasm to follow up on leads and attract new member-companies.
• Collaborate closely with other internal and external stakeholders to maximize the impact of our Vlerick Sustainability Centre.
• Depending on your previous experience and seniority, you might be asked to take ownership of EcoVadis reporting and coordinating follow-up, helping drive our internal sustainability agenda.

You

• Have a master’s degree and a genuine interest in the topic of sustainability. You are eager to stay on top of developments in the field.
• Exhibit excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Embrace a proactive, entrepreneurial and customer-oriented attitude, coupled with great organizational skills.
• Like networking. You can connect with different stakeholders and are ready to be a credible advisor for (senior) executives.
• Like working in team and are flexible to help team members wherever necessary.
• Want to work on our beautiful campuses in Brussels and/or Ghent in combination with your home office. You are looking forward to coordinating events on all three of our campuses and potential external venues, including the sporadic evening and weekend activities.

#ProudtobeVlerick

• Autonomy and responsibility in a challenging work environment.
• A dynamic, open, and international company culture.
• Opportunities for professional and personal growth, including a training budget & a LinkedIn Learning account.
• A team of enthusiastic, driven colleagues, passionate about learning.
• Flexibility: 30+ holiday days, working from home, a flexible benefits system, etc.
• Meal vouchers, a hospitalization insurance, a group insurance, and a mobility budget are also part of your package.
• You’ll have a real impact and inspire people to live, learn and leap!

At Vlerick, openness to the world is part of our DNA. We are continuously working towards being a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive place to work and learn at. So, no matter who you are, where you come from, or what your dreams are, we are looking forward to receiving your application.

Take the leap!

If you think you meet these criteria, please apply with your resume and motivation letter on our website. Happy to give you more information on the job content: Jonathan.degrande@vlerick.com and/or the selection process and working at Vlerick: Charlotte.mahieu@vlerick.com.