Supervisory Board member with academic profile

Rutgers is the leading Dutch center of expertise on sexuality. We are active in The Netherlands and internationally in about 20 countries. Together with other civil society organisations, professionals in the field and experts by experience, we advocate for positive change on issues that matter and have a major impact on people's health and lives. We work to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights, access to sexuality education and information, access to contraception and safe abortions, and on the prevention of sexual violence. We do this in a variety of ways. Rutgers connects research, practice and advocacy. We are there for everyone, with an extra focus on young people. We speak out against injustice and for important human values, especially when they are under pressure or under-reported. 

Our organization is formed by 130 passionate professionals in the Netherlands.

Our Supervisory Board is recruiting a:  

Supervisory Board member with academic profile

(vacancy number 2024-RvT02)

Effective 1 July 2024, the composition of Rutgers' Supervisory Board will change. Chair Mirjam de Blécourt's term expires. In addition, one of the members, Julia Bunting, has obtained a position at UNFPA that conflicts with participation on Rutgers’ Supervisory Board.

Current vice chair (and audit committee member) Femke Aarts will become the new chair of the Supervisory Board. This creates a vacancy for the audit committee. In addition, the Supervisory Board is recruiting a new member with an academic profile. This fits the positioning of Rutgers as a center of expertise. We are looking for a profile that is broader than sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Rutgers’ strategy

We want young people to be free to enjoy their sexuality and relationships, while respecting the rights of others in an inclusive society. Our mission is to connect and engage with young people and those around them to support this process.  Rutgers' strategy holds the organisational values, which are passionate, positive, professional, open, learning, courageous and just.

Furthermore, Rutgers aims to:

• Meaningfully engage with and empower young people
• Strengthen our partners
• Mobilise public support
• Improve laws and policies
• Translate scientific research into practice and back
• Diversify our funding
• Invest in our passionate professionals and or organisation

These themes are also topics of discussion in the meetings of the Supervisory Board. Rutgers is currently drafting a new strategy for the period 2026 – 2030.

See our website for more information about our rich history.

Organisational structure 

Rutgers works in programmatic teams. These teams are part of different departments, the International, National, Advocacy or Communications & Fundraising department. Furthermore, there are support departments Finance, Operations & Quality and HR. The managers from these departments form the Management Team of Rutgers, which is chaired by the Executive Director.

The Supervisory Board

The Supervisory Board of Rutgers has a supervisory, advisory and ambassadorial role with respect to (the functioning of) the organisation, its strategy and policy, its management and its operations and is also the employer of the Executive Director. The Supervisory Board currently has 5 members and 2 vacancies. Each member is appointed for a 3 year term with the possibility of extending this term twice.

The Supervisory Board meets about 4 times each year. In addition to a presidium, the Supervisory Board also has an audit committee.  Because of the international composition of the Supervisory Board, the meetings are conducted in English.

The members of the Supervisory Board have a passion for the work of Rutgers and an affinity with or knowledge of the following:

• Sexual and reproductive health and rights.
• Working in both a national and an international context.
• The sectors Rutgers works with or in: research, healthcare, education, (social) media etc.
• The target groups of Rutgers: young people with a diversity of identities and backgrounds.

The members of the Supervisory Board are curious, creative and supportive. They find the right balance between being engaged and keeping distance, are good listeners and ask the right questions. They are a sounding board for the executive director, have a clear vision, allowing them to oversee the issues that exist within the organisation, and dare to make decisions.

For this specific position the following applies:

• An academic background with expertise on the research quality. Not necessarily in the field of SRHR.
• Affinity with handling ethical issues, preferably using a participatory approach.
• Experience in advocacy in a political environment is an asset

The Supervisory Board guards the guiding principles of Rutgers and carries these out to their networks. Furthermore, Rutgers aims to have a Supervisory Board that is diverse in terms of age, gender, sexual orientation and (ethnic or cultural) background.

Since the Supervisory Board meetings are in English, command of Dutch is not required.

What we offer  

Rutgers is active in an exciting and challenging international environment and works with highly motivated and passionate colleagues. The remuneration for Supervisory Board members is EUR 150 per meeting, plus reimbursement of expenses per year.

Rutgers’ office is located in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Information and application  

We want to create an inclusive and diverse Supervisory Board that values individual differences. Do you feel attracted to this? Then we invite you to apply no later than Sunday 5 May 2024. The interviews will take place on Wednesday 29 May between 17.00 and 19.00.

The submission of a Certificate of Good Conduct (Verklaring omtrent Gedrag) is part of the procedure. Also, a reference check will be part of the selection process. We use the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme to request written references.

Responding to this vacancy can only be done via the link to the online application form in the relevant vacancy at www.rutgers.nl/vacatures. For additional background information on Rutgers, please consult www.rutgers.nl and www.rutgers.international.

If you have any questions, please contact Arjan van der Waal, Secretary to the Board, via vacatures@rutgers.nl, stating the vacancy number.

Your personal data will be deleted six months after the end of the application procedure. 

If this is not your dream job, support Rutgers by sharing this vacancy within your network. 

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.