Erasmus+ Development Officer

Overview of the department

DCU’s current university strategy has set out ambitious goals to further develop research activity, outputs and impact, over the next five years. Over that time we expect to grow PhD numbers by 50%, published outputs by 30% and research income by over 20%. DCU’s Research Support Services are tasked with supporting our academic staff in reaching these goals – by providing high quality professional support for funding applications, by delivering a comprehensive research project administration service, and by managing and technically supporting the core technologies facilities – high-end ‘open access’ research equipment. The unit also provides DCU’s central services in areas such as research metric analysis and research ethics and integrity.

Research Support Services comprises the following three sub-teams: Research Development and Support, Research Project Administration and Research Infrastructure. The mission of the Research Development and Support team is to provide professional support for research across all fields in a proactive, researcher-centric way, in order to facilitate the development and funding of research at DCU and assist in the implementation of DCU’s Research Strategy.

Role Profile

Reporting to the Head of Research Development and Support, the Erasmus+ Development Officer will be accountable for providing a highly professional and comprehensive research assistance function for the DCU research community as part of the wider Research Development and Support team.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Erasmus+ Development Officer will work on a range of activities that include but are not limited to the following:

● Assisting academic and related professional staff in the preparation and writing of Erasmus+ applications, under Key Action 2, Key Action 3, and the Jean Monnet Actions.

● Advising on the application procedures, submission systems and terms and conditions.

● Ensuring that applications meet eligibility and evaluation criteria and are appropriately costed to enable effective delivery.

● Actively engaging academic staff with Erasmus+ funding opportunities appropriate to and in line with the respective Faculties’ research funding strategy.

● Actively monitoring the Erasmus+ portfolio to ensure that opportunities to leverage further benefits (particularly research-related benefits) from activities and partnerships forged by both application and project activity are fully realised across the institution.

● Maintaining a good comprehension of the University’s policies as they relate to:

○ Research, e.g. governance, data management, ethics and intellectual property.

○ Academic Quality Assurance, e.g., programme approval, student data management, collaborative provision protocols.

○ Partnership approval protocols.

● Ensuring these policies are considered during the process of proposal development.

● Working closely with colleagues across the Research Development and Support team, Research Support Services, and with other units of the University, for example (in the case of Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters applications) with the relevant staff in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Registry (as required).

● Provide all relevant assistance to allow for effective management, reporting, and operation of successful bids.

● Where appropriate, provide assistance for funding applications to other international funding schemes outside of the Erasmus+ framework in line with the university strategy.

● Working with the teams within Research Support Services to assist academic and research staff at all stages of the research project lifecycle.

● Liaising effectively with DCU professional service units and relevant external funding agencies to ensure a coordinated approach to the provision of research support services.

● Providing assistance to the ECIU University initiative.

● Undertaking duties and responsibilities as prioritised by the Senior Research Development Lead, Head of Research Development and Support, or their designate.

Qualifications and Experience

Applicants for this post must hold:

● A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

● A minimum of three years of experience in a similar or related development/application support area, with experience of supporting academics from Higher Education Institutions.

● Knowledge and comprehension of the Erasmus+ programme, particularly the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, Key Action 2, and Jean Monnet activities.

● Evidence of working on research funding applications and successfully securing funding.

● Demonstrable knowledge and comprehension of the European funding landscape.

● Customer orientated approach to problem solving and meeting multiple deadlines.

● Excellent oral and written communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to give professional advice and build effective working relationships with others.

In addition, the successful candidate will have:

● Knowledge of relevant academic structures and the Higher Education sector.

● Experience working in research funding and administration.

● Experience in research contracts and grant agreements administration.

● Proven administrative and organisational skills.

● Ability to work as part of a team and on an individual basis.

● Excellent interactive, oral and written communication skills.

● Ability to problem solve and show initiative in the role.

Minimum Internal Service Criteria

Please note that internal service criteria will apply.

Please note staff must have successfully completed their probationary period.

Essential Training

The postholder will be required to undertake the following essential compliance training:

● Orientation

● Health & Safety

● Data Protection (GDPR)

● Cyber Security Awareness

● AI Literacy

Other training may need to be undertaken when required.

Salary Scale: Professional 5A - €59,386 - €80,308

Appointment will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and in line with current Government pay policy.

Closing date: Friday, 2nd January 2026

Additional Information

Please note this role does not meet criteria for a Critical Skills permit as stipulated by the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment.