In this newly established role, you will lead a national initiative to improve data interoperability in the Social Sciences & Humanities (SSH) research domain in the Netherlands. The role is at the heart of a four-year project that addresses interoperability aspects such as metadata standards, ontology adoption, and relevant broader FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data practices across SSH research communities.
You will join the Thematic Digital Competence Centre SSH (TDCC SSH) programme and work closely with our 3-person core team. Key stakeholders include the research infrastructures CLARIAH and ODISSEI, local Digital Competence Centres (LDCCs), data stewards, and international networks such as EOSC and RDA. You will be instrumental in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and strengthening metadata and ontology practices to support open science.
A core component of this role is overseeing up to four ‘Interoperability Missions’— focused 12-18 month initiatives addressing metadata harmonisation, ontology integration, and other data interoperability challenges in SSH. Each of these missions will be led by ‘Mission Specialists’ with expertise in specific SSH subdomains. With support from the wider TDCC SSH team, you will take the lead to coordinate their efforts, ensure alignment with best practices, and support community-driven solutions. Your overall responsibilities will include:

Project Leadership & Coordination

• Lead the selection and prioritization of Missions in consultation with the TDCC SSH team, LDCCs, and other key stakeholders.
• Oversee multiple Interoperability Missions and guide the work of the Mission Specialists, ensuring alignment with project goals and SSH research needs.
• Monitor project impact and contribute to the long-term sustainability strategy to ensuring outputs remain relevant.

Stakeholder Engagement & Community Building

• Act as a liaison between stakeholders such as research infrastructures, LDCCs, data stewards and international networks to promote interoperability.

• Facilitate collaboration between SSH researchers, data stewards, and digital infrastructure providers.Develop guidelines, workshops, and other relevant means to advance metadata and ontology adoption.

Metadata & Ontology Development

• Help identify, refine, and promote community-supported metadata standards and ontologies across the SSH domain
• Stay informed and contribute to conversations on international developments in metadata interoperability and semantic web technologies.