Organizational Development Manager

At the ETH Student Project House (SPH) we inspire and empower students to cultivate a maker and innovator mindset. We believe that by exploring their ideas and developing their own projects, students gain valuable hands-on experience and learn important skills for their future. This is why we’ve created an ecosystem where students are encouraged to explore and ideate, as well as build, test, and refine their prototypes.

Our interdisciplinary team of thirty people supports students with the tools and know-how to explore their passion and create their project. We have a greatly equipped Makerspace that gives students access to the tools and equipment they need to prototype. To take projects to the next level we have a co-working, ideation, and event space and we offer coaching. We want to accompany students on their journey by inspiring them to get started, seek diverse views, explore the real need behind an idea, work as a team, think big, learn to fail, pivot, and to be able to overcome whatever obstacles they may encounter on the way.

With our continued growth, we’re seeking an Organizational Development Manager to support the Head of SPH and the entire organization. We offer an exciting opportunity where you will play a central role in the continued success of the SPH and have a positive impact on the lives of many of our students. We offer a limited contract for one year with perspective of extension. Fixed contracts are the standard at ETH, however the position is financially secured in the long run.

You’ll work in one of the most inspiring spaces at ETH Zürich, surrounded by 3D-printers, whiteboards, ideation equipment, and self-designed furniture:

• We’re located at ETH Zentrum and at ETH Hönggerberg campus.
• We work in the same open space as our students and meet with everyone at eye level. The individuals we work with come from a wide range of backgrounds and study a variety of disciplines, therefore we communicate primarily in English. 
• We take an agile approach to conceptualizing and delivering our offer and allocate our capacity flexibly to the most important tasks. Teamwork is one of our key values.

In the role of Organizational Development Manager, you work on topics that are highly relevant for the entire SPH. On the one hand, you are driving strategic topics forward and support the Head of SPH. On the other hand, you ensure the smooth day-to-day operations of the organization. You are an equal member of the coordination circle, which consists of the unit leads as well as the Head of SPH. Your main responsibilities include:

• Organizational strategy implementation: You implement, monitor and coordinate short- and long-term organizational strategies. You will also gather relevant data for decision making and reporting.
• Operations and process optimisation: Together with the leads of our units you analyze our processes, automate them with our IT experts and ensure the scalability of our offering. With this we will be able to provide our offering to thousands more students with the existing resources. 
• Compliance: You'll ensure compliance with ETH regulations and monitor that our facilities are operating safely.
• Finances: This includes but is not limited to the coordination of the annual budgeting process, creating our long-term financial plan and reporting for philanthropic third party funding.
• Project management: You’ll lead and manage internal projects and coordinate with various units to ensure their timely and successful completion. Furthermore, you act as a sparring partner for other team members who lead and manage such projects.

We need your structured thinking and attention to detail to grow in a sustainable way: 

• You hold an advanced university degree (i.e. Master and/or PhD).
• You have 7+ years work experience in the fields of management consulting, corporate strategy, operations and/or as chief of staff.
• You are an analytical thinker, who loves solving problems and getting the right structures in place whilst at the same time leaving freedom to others for creativity to flow.
• You are passionate about compliance, numbers, and budgets and you thrive when costs can be reduced.
• You are a great project manager and can make sure that our service offers and processes are streamlined, clear, and can be further scaled to meet the needs of thousands of students.
• You enjoy working with people, have exceptional communication skills and are adept at liaising with stakeholders.
• You speak fluent English and ideally German.

A note: research indicates that women and individuals from marginalized groups tend to apply only when they meet all of the criteria. If you believe you’re qualified, but don’t necessarily check every box, please submit an application.

ETH Zurich is a family-friendly employer with excellent working conditions. You can look forward to an exciting working environment, cultural diversity and attractive offers and benefits.

We believe in personal growth. For that we do regular team feedback sessions and value everyone's opinion. We find the best solutions through diverse mindsets.

We’d love to get to know you! Please record a 1-2 min video clip introducing yourself and telling us why you are passionate about being an Organizational Development Manager at SPH. We're not looking for perfect video production skills - just use your smartphone, be yourself, and don't worry about editing the clip. We want to meet the real you!

Upload the video on a platform of your choice (Dropbox, YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, ...) and include the URL link in your cover letter.

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:

• Cover letter, including the URL link to your video clip
• CV

Please note that we can only accept applications submitted through the ETH online application portal. Applications via email or by post will not be considered.

Questions regarding the position should be directed to Lucie Laura Selina Rejman (Write an email)  (no applications).

Further information about the ETH Student Project House can be found on our website , on Instagram , and on LinkedIn .