Subject Matter Expert Network Manager (m/f/d)

Company Description

About EIT RawMaterials

As the world moves towards a greener future, the demand for raw materials—minerals and metals—is set to increase immensely over the next three decades. Europe faces a critical challenge in securing a stable supply of these essential resources. This challenge is where EIT RawMaterials steps in.

EIT RawMaterials is at the forefront of driving innovation and sustainability in the raw materials sector. As an Innovation Community within the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), we collaborate with over 300 partners across industry, academia, and research institutes. Together, we forge dynamic, long-term partnerships to develop innovative solutions that meet Europe's growing demand for raw materials.

The Role

EIT RawMaterials is seeking a Subject Matter Expert Network Manager (m/f/d) to build and lead the network of technical experts behind the training portfolios of the European Raw Materials Academy and the European Advanced Materials Academy.

The Subject Matter Expert Network Manager is responsible for identifying, recruiting, screening, contracting, and onboarding subject matter experts across the full breadth of the raw materials and advanced materials value chains, and for designing and running the operational processes that make this possible at scale within EU procurement and Horizon Europe requirements.

The role combines broad generalist technical understanding with strong operational discipline. The successful candidate will translate the priorities emerging from the annual industry needs analysis into a structured expert sourcing plan, conduct screening and evaluation at volume, manage the contracting and onboarding pathway for each expert, and hand over well-briefed experts to the instructional design team who take content development forward. In the first year, the role is expected to onboard between 30 and 50 subject matter experts, with further growth anticipated in the second and third years.

Success in this role will be measured through the size, quality, and value-chain coverage of the expert network; the efficiency and compliance of recruitment, contracting, and onboarding; the clarity and traceability of documentation; the strengthened methodology and quality of the annual industry needs analysis; and the quality of the training content developed with the experts.

Key Responsibilities

Expert Sourcing & Network Development

• Build and maintain a pool of subject matter experts covering the breadth of the raw materials and advanced materials value chains, including exploration, extraction, mineral and metal processing, metallurgy, materials design and characterisation, manufacturing, recycling and circularity, sustainability, and the regulatory environment.

• Translate the priority topics identified in the annual industry needs analysis into a structured sourcing plan across value chain areas.

• Proactively identify and attract experts through industry networks, academia, EIT RawMaterials partners, professional associations, and targeted outreach.

• Onboard 30 to 50 subject matter experts in the first year, scaling the network in subsequent years in line with portfolio growth.

• Maintain a live view of expertise coverage and gaps across both Academies’ training portfolios.

Screening, Selection & Evaluation

• Design and conduct structured screening interviews with subject matter experts at scale.

• Define and consistently apply selection criteria covering technical depth, ability to communicate to a professional learner audience, availability, and language.

• Evaluate existing training content for current industry relevance, identify where further specialised expert input is required, and then fill these requirements with the appropriate specialised subject matter experts.

• Assess the ongoing quality of expert contributions and make informed decisions on continued engagement.

• Maintain clear, complete, and traceable records of every assessment and selection decision.

Operational Process & Procurement Compliance

• Own, document, and continuously improve the end-to-end operational process for engaging freelance subject matter experts, from initial identification through to onboarding and handover.

• Ensure that all recruitment and engagement of experts complies with EU procurement rules and Horizon Europe requirements for working with external contributors.

• Manage day-to-day contracting matters for each expert engaged, working with internal legal and compliance colleagues on escalations and exceptions.

• Maintain audit-ready documentation across sourcing, selection, contracting, and onboarding.

• Direct and prioritise the work of dedicated administrative support to keep the process running at volume.

Collaboration with Instructional Design & Content Development

• Hand over onboarded experts to the instructional design team with clear briefing on scope, expertise, availability, and expectations.

• Act as the internal technical point of contact for questions of topic coverage, technical scope, and expert fit.

• Support instructional designers and the content team in the technical quality assurance of new and existing training materials for both Academies.

• Feed lessons learned from content development back into selection criteria, briefing materials, and onboarding practice.

Industry Needs Analysis & Portfolio Coverage

• Contribute substantively to the annual industry needs analysis, in partnership with the content team, shaping both the methodology and the resulting report.

• Strengthen the analysis by bringing technical judgement and direct insight from the expert network and from industry engagement.

• Translate identified skills gaps into concrete implications for the expert network and for the Academies’ training portfolios.

• Maintain an informed generalist view of technological, regulatory, and industrial developments across the raw materials and advanced materials sectors.

What We’re Looking For

Required Qualifications

• PhD or other relevant advanced degree in materials science, metallurgy, mining or geosciences, chemistry, chemical or process engineering, or a closely related field; or equivalent professional experience in the raw materials or advanced materials industry.

• Broad, cross-cutting understanding of the raw materials and advanced materials value chains, with the ability to engage credibly with specialists across many different areas.

• Minimum of 5 years’ professional experience in technical, expert network, recruitment, training and content development, or comparable roles.

• Demonstrated experience identifying, selecting, and engaging external experts, freelancers, or consultants, ideally at volume.

• Demonstrated experience in setting up digital workflows to automate process workflows

• Experience conducting structured screening or competency-based interviews.

• Excellent organisational and project management skills, with the ability to run multiple parallel workstreams to deadline.

• Meticulous approach to documentation and record keeping, producing clear, traceable, audit-ready records.

• Strong technical and digital ability, including confidence with applicant tracking or CRM systems, expert databases, spreadsheets, and collaboration platforms.

• Experience working in international and multicultural environments.

• Excellent written and spoken English. Additional EU language is a plus.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with EU procurement policies and with Horizon Europe rules governing the engagement of external experts and subcontractors.

• Experience working within EU-funded projects, such as Horizon Europe, EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, or Erasmus+.

• Experience collaborating with instructional designers, or a background in training, curriculum, or professional education development.

• Experience contributing to skills gap analyses, workforce needs assessments, or comparable studies.

• Experience directing or coordinating administrative support.

• An established professional network across the European raw materials or advanced materials industry and academia.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to shape the technical foundation of Europe’s raw materials and advanced materials skills agenda.

• Ownership of building a European expert network from the ground up.

• Collaboration with leading companies, universities, and research organisations across Europe.

• A dynamic, international, and purpose-driven working environment.

Position Details

Location: Berlin, Germany preferred; also possible elsewhere in Germany, Poland, Italy, Slovenia, Latvia, Greece, Hungary, Austria, or the Netherlands.

Contract: Full-time, fixed-term of two years with a possibility of extension

Travel: Occasional travel across Europe

Role Type: Individual Contributor, with dedicated administrative support

Commitment to Diversity: EIT RawMaterials is committed to diversity and inclusion. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of background.

Other information

The position will stay open until a successful candidate is chosen.

1. Application Review: Our team thoroughly reviews each application. Please make sure to submit your CV in English.

2. Initial Interview (30 minutes): Meet with the hiring manager and HR team.

3. Second Interview (60 minutes): Second interview with a presentation on a relevant topic to the hiring manager and the HR team.

4. Offer: If successful, receive an offer to join our team.