EHRI/GRAPHIA Software Developer - NIOD

NIOD and the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI) are looking for a versatile and enthusiastic software developer to contribute to a variety of platforms for the exploration of historical materials. EHRI’s main objective is to enable new research into the Holocaust by bringing together and connecting dispersed historical sources, and by encouraging collaborative research through the development of online tools. A key responsibility will be representing NIOD and EHRI in the GRAPHIA project and integrating EHRI’s platforms with the GRAPHIA Knowledge Graph and AI infrastructure.

The ideal candidate will be keen to use innovative new tools and technologies to advance the state of Open Data in Holocaust research and the Humanities. They will be comfortable switching between different programming languages and environments in order to get the job done, and have a well-developed understanding of full-stack web development, modern front-end techniques, and accessible web design. They will be adept at liaising with both technical and non-technical stakeholders to understand how software systems can serve their needs, and able to deliver professional, well documented code.

EHRI’s code is available on Github under open-source licenses. We use a variety of technologies, including Linux, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Neo4j, Scala (Play Framework), Java, PHP (WordPress, Omeka Classic), Python, and JavaScript/TypeScript (VueJS).

What will you do?

• Contribute in a collaborative manner to new and existing open source platforms aimed at researchers, archivists, historians, and the general public, implementing features, fixing bugs, and identifying areas for improvement
• Represent NIOD and EHRI in external consortium projects such as GRAPHIA, attending online and in-person meetings and workshops
• Contribute to project deliverables, documentation, and dissemination activities
• Provide cover for colleagues when needed, including in limited areas of system administration and technical support

What do you bring?

Essential criteria:

• A formal qualification in computing science or information technology or equivalent work experience
• Demonstrable experience with a compiled programming language such as Java and at least one popular scripting language (e.g. Python, PHP, Ruby, Perl)
• Excellent knowledge of web technologies (HTML, CSS, Javascript) and the ability to implement responsive website designs
• Practical knowledge of SQL databases and experience with PostgreSQL and/or MySQL administration
• Demonstrable experience in developing and maintaining complex web applications
• Experience with Git and the ability to work independently or as part of a team in a collaborative development environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and the ability to contribute to project deliverables, reports, publications and similar documentation. (Communication in Dutch is a plus.)
• A strong interest in Digital Humanities and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• The ability to work in multi-national, multi partner projects involving many different knowledge profiles.

Desirable criteria:

• A post-graduate degree in a relevant field such as Digital Humanities, Computing, etc.
• Familiarity with Knowledge Graphs, the fundamentals of Linked Open Data (LOD), and graph databases such as GraphDB or Neo4j
• Familiarity with common metadata standards in the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, museums) sector
• Experience of producing technical documentation
• Experience with Unix/Linux system administration and IT automation tools
• An interest in, and affinity for, EHRI’s mission

What do we offer?
A dynamic role at within the international and interdisciplinary EHRI team at NIOD, with the opportunity to contribute to a growing European research infrastructure and to develop innovative new tools and methods.  You will join an international team that currently consists of 8 other members of staff.

The position is based at the NIOD offices in Amsterdam, with hybrid work arrangements possible.

More information
For questions, contact Reto Speck, EHRI-ERIC Director: r.speck@niod.knaw.nl 

How to apply
Please send your application (CV and motivation letter) before 22nd September 2025. Please ensure that your application is written in English. We expect to hold interviews for this position on 6th October 2025. We would like the successful candidate to start on 3rd November 2025.

About EHRI-ERIC

EHRI-ERIC is a European Research Infrastructure Consortium inaugurated in 2025, as the culmination of 15 years of successful collaboration between numerous international partners in the higher education, archival, and research sectors. Dedicated to enabling and promoting scientific excellence in trans-national Holocaust research, it provides critical resources and opportunities for scholars across the world seeking to advance this crucial field.

About NIOD
The NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies was founded on 8 May 1945 to map out the history of the Second World War in the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies through independent research. During the past decades this expertise has been extended to research into mass violence and genocides in Europe and elsewhere in the world. The NIOD is a scientifically independent and at the same time strongly socially oriented institute.

Apart from scientific research, NIOD opens its collections to both professionals and private individuals. NIOD is located in a monumental building of the Dutch Government Property Department in the centre of Amsterdam. It manages in-house 3 kilometres of archives, a library with 75,000 titles and a large photo collection. NIOD has about 75 employees. It is one of the 15 institutes of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences (KNAW). The Communication and Information team is responsible for internal and external communication and public activities, spokesperson management and the management of NIOD's online and social media.

Terms of employment
Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is 3.378 and the maximum salary is 5.331 gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale 10 cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment). 

For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: werken bij de KNAW.

Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct can be part of the employment procedure.

Diversity & Inclusion
The KNAW considers a working environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated of great importance. A working environment in which attention is paid to individual quality and where development opportunities are paramount. Together we strive for an inclusive culture in which we embrace differences. We would therefore like to invite candidates who want to contribute to this through their background and experience. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the candidate who thus enhances diversity within the Academy.

We will not respond to any supplier enquiries based on this job advertisement.