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Position
The Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Communication, The Visual and Digital Cultures Research Center is looking for a part-time (50 %) project coordinator within the ERC-funded project WALLS2BRIDGES -Media Production of Prison Communities.
The ERC project WALLS2BRIDGES investigates how prison communities produce media and how these practices reshape understanding of justice across France, Türkiye, the UK, and the US. Against the backdrop of expanding incarceration regimes and enduring racial and social inequalities, WALLS2BRIDGES examines how incarcerated people, their families, and anti-prison activists engage in media production (from letters and newspapers to podcasts, films, and digital platforms) to contest dominant narratives and reimagine justice.
The project conceptualizes prison communities as active media producers, foregrounding the interplay between media practices, systems of surveillance, sensory experience, and struggles for justice.
Using a transnational and interdisciplinary approach, the project combines:
1. Archival research on prison-produced media since the mid-’s century;
2. Qualitative interviews and collaborative research with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, families, and activists;
3. Analysis of diverse media forms, including print, audiovisual, and digital content.
Your role
The position includes the following tasks:
Project development and coordination (media & prison studies domain)
You are responsible for developing, preparing, and coordinating project activities across one or more research strands. This includes:
4. Analysing research contexts (e.g. prison media ecosystems, access conditions, NGO landscapes)
5. Contributing to the design of research frameworks and comparative methodologies
6. Developing project plans and implementation timelines
7. Monitoring progress against objectives, milestones, and deliverables
8. Coordinating activities across international research sites (Türkiye, France, the UK, the US)
Research and stakeholder coordination
9. Mapping and liaising with NGOs, universities, activists, and media practitioners working in prison contexts
10. Supporting fieldwork logistics and access processes where applicable
11. Facilitating communication within the research team and with external partners
12. Assisting in the organization of workshops, meetings, and collaborative research activities
Digital dissemination (website & podcast)
13. Supporting the development and maintenance of the project website
14. Assisting in the conceptualisation and production of project-related podcasts and other public-facing outputs
15. Coordinating content contributions from team members and external collaborators
16. Ensuring coherence between research outputs and public communication strategies
Ethics and compliance support
17. Supporting the development and implementation of ethical protocols, particularly in relation to research with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals
18. Assisting with ethics applications, consent procedures, and data management plans
19. Monitoring compliance with institutional and ERC ethical guidelines
20. Identifying and addressing ethical and operational risks in collaboration with the PI and team
Policy support and institutional interface
21. Coordinating reporting processes (ERC deliverables, internal and external reports)
22. Organising inputs from team members and ensuring alignment across work packages
23. Supporting administrative and strategic planning tasks related to the project
Research support and analysis
24. Assisting in qualitative research processes and comparative analysis
25. Monitoring research workflows for efficiency and coherence
26. Supporting the synthesis of findings for publications and reports
Profile
27. You have a master degree in media studies, criminology, anthropology, or a related field or equivalent competences gained through prior work experience;
28. Affinity with prison studies, media infrastructures, or social justice research;
29. Strong organizational and project management skills;
30. Experience with digital communication (websites, podcasts, or similar platforms);
31. Familiarity with research ethics procedures;
32. Proficient in Microsoft ;
33. Good oral and written knowledge of English, Dutch and preferably French and/or Turkish;
34. Act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation;
35. Have strong monitoring skills.
What we offer
We offer a temporary contract for a period of one year (with the possibility of renewal).
The planned start date is July, or as soon as possible after that date.
36. You will receive a gross monthly salary within pay band 8.1-10.1 of the of the Administrative and Technical Staff. Your entry-level grade (usually grade 8) depends on your relevant professional experience. Your salary is calculated proportionally on the basis of your employment percentage.
37. You will receive meal vouchers, ecocheques, Internet-connectivity allowance, group insurance, an income protection insurance, and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
38. We offer flexible working hours.
39. You will have 40 days of annual leave and collective leave for 1 week when the university is closed, between Christmas and New Year.
40. You will do most of your work at Stadscampus in a dynamic and stimulating working environment.
41. Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp and discover all the other .
42. A CV (max. 3 pages)
43. A motivation letter (max. 2 pages)
44. A short statement (max. 1 page) outlining your relevant experience in project coordination, research, and/or working with sensitive or ethically complex contexts
45. Optional: One or two examples of previous work (research, project outputs, or digital media work)
46. The selection committee reviews all applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. As soon as a decision is made, we will notify you. If you are still eligible after the pre-selection, you will be informed about the interview date. The interview will be conducted online between the 15th and 19th of June.