Vacature (Junior) Software Developer - Brightlands Institute for Smart Society (BISS)

(Junior) Software Developer - Brightlands Institute for Smart Society (BISS) in Maastricht

Welcome to Maastricht University!

The world is rapidly changing, and we’re growing along with it to meet this change. Your work makes a difference here, whether you're exploring the future as a researcher, inspiring students in the classroom, or helping shape everything that makes our education and research possible.

(Junior) Software Developer - Brightlands Institute for Smart Society (BISS)

• Our goal: BISS aims to empower people and organizations through the socially responsible application of digital technologies. You will work with BISS’ research teams to design and develop software solutions that will support scientific projects, where main responsibilities include the design and implementation of data architectures and infrastructures that enable efficiently (re-)use of data, advice on how data might be used more appropriately, implementing user-facing applications, and end-to-end data flow.
• Your colleagues: A collaborative, interdisciplinary team at the Brightlands Institute for Smart Society (BISS), where all faculties of Maastricht University join forces to apply Artificial Intelligence and data science to societal and business challenges.

You are enthusiastic about designing and developing software solutions, but you seek to do more than just write code. You get really passionate when the data you process and the code you write serve a clear societal mission. When the solutions you develop improve people’s lives and help organizations innovate.

You are a real do-er, and the idea of working in a team of scientists doesn’t scare you, but makes you curious: how can you use your coding and programming skills to apply research to the real world? To enable more aspects of society to utilize the potential of data? You believe in open and FAIR data, and want to dedicate your time to make this a reality.

What you do

• Design, document, implement and maintain efficient code, software and databases to support data science research using standard methodologies and good practices
• Develop software supporting the ETL process and FAIR data infrastructures
• Join various projects and sub-teams and interact with outside parties set in research, society, and the commercial world
• Contribute and/or lead to reporting of results in scientific workshops, conferences, and journals
• Have opportunities to learn the latest technologies and apply them in new projects

BISS could be a good fit if you

• Prefer to communicate directly with the team over using a formalized framework – We’re a small technical team that communicates directly and we update each other regularly without using a formalized framework such as Scrum, Waterfall, Prince etc.
• Like working on prototypes that can change daily – We mostly build and work on proof-of-concepts, minimal viable products and prototypes. Sometimes these will grow into functional software, but so far we do not work on enterprise scale software.
• Want to work together with non-technical colleagues – We’re a very multidisciplinary team where you’ll work with all kinds of different expertise. We provide technical support, but technology should never take the lead.
• Have a broader view than just your technical viewpoint – We pride ourselves in applying technology in ethical and societally beneficial ways.

At BISS we value

• Personal input and exploration – You’ll work withing different sub-teams within different projects where there’s room for your personal contributions
• Open-source coding – All of our code for academic projects is published under the Apache-2.0 license on our GitHub

Are you ready to set the course for the years ahead? Then we’d love to meet you.

What you bring

It’s not about ticking boxes – it’s about your expertise, motivation, and potential. Do you recognise yourself in the following?

• Excellent interpersonal skills – You’re a real team player with a high degree of professionalism
• A broad interest in scientific research – You will be supporting the professors in their research process by writing open-source and re-usable (FAIR) code
• Fluent English – You communicate effectively in English, both spoken and in in writing. Dutch speakers have a slight preference, but is not a hard requirement.
• 3+ years’ work experience – Experience in software development (internships count)
• A background in Computer Science – At least a BSc (or higher) in computer science or equivalent
• Proficiency in Javascript – Preferably experience with Vue/Nuxt or similar frameworks
• Git expertise – Experience in version control systems and knowledge of CI/CD platforms
• Database skills – Knowledge of both relational (PostrgreSQL) and no-SQL (e.g. knowledge graph) database design, creation and maintenance
• AI experience – Basic knowledge of ML, RAG and other algorithms, coding with GitHub Co-pilot or other LLM providers

What we offer

At Maastricht University, you’ll work in an international, open, and engaged environment. We offer:

• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE, with the option for a permanent contract upon good performance.
• A gross monthly salary between €3.546 and €5.538 (based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week). 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus.
• 29 vacation days (based on full-time), four additional days off (Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day), and the possibility to accrue up to 12 extra days through compensation hours.
• Flexible working hours, a home office allowance, and the option to work from home.
• Freedom and space to shape your work independently and develop your ideas.
• A close-knit community of colleagues to collaborate and grow with.
• A solid pension plan via ABP, company fitness schemes, and access to various university sports facilities.
• An inspiring work environment in the heart of Europe.

About the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE)

FSE is a young, rapidly growing faculty where science, technology, and society converge. We combine STEM and social sciences in innovative programmes such as Data Science, Circular Engineering, and Systems Biology. Our research and education are interdisciplinary, practice-oriented, and socially relevant. We take pride in our open culture and strong team spirit.

FSE at the Brightlands Campuses  

Maastricht, Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen, and Venlo, the home of four creative Brightlands campuses, are bustling with 30,000 entrepreneurs, researchers, and students working diligently to solve global challenges. The Faculty of Science and Engineering is active on all four Brightlands campuses, and this is where our impact reaches its peak. To give you an idea of what is happening at each campus: Sittard-Geleen is home to the largest chemical site in the Euregion, while Venlo is a large hub for agri-food innovation. Maastricht is the site of the Health Campus, and Heerlen is the place to be for Smart Services. 

Brightlands Institute for Smart Society (BISS)

At Brightlands Institute for Smart Society (BISS), Maastricht University scientists work on innovative and responsible solutions to data challenges. All disciplines and faculties collaborate in applying data science and technology to solve real life societal and business needs. BISS was set up by Maastricht University, the Province of Limburg and APG.

BISS is located on the Brightlands Smart Services Campus in Heerlen, the Netherlands.

BISS’ mission is to empower people and organisations through the socially responsible application of digital technologies. We focus on privacy preserving technologies, on value creation from data, and on human-technology interaction.

BISS is part of Brightlands, an open innovation community in Limburg, The Netherlands with 29,000 innovative entrepreneurs, researchers and students. Every day they work on breakthroughs in the field of sustainability, health and digitization. At Brightlands Smart Services Campus in Heerlen they enable knowledge in the field of data science to lead to new smart digital services that improve the quality of life.

Interested?

Want to know more about this position or what it’s like to work at our university? Reach out to Chris van der Lans ([email protected]) or Aleksandra Draper ([email protected]) for more information. You can also apply directly using the button below.

Apply now, no later than 24/02/2026, for this position. We will start reviewing applications immediately and continue until the position is filled. The vacancy may close earlier if a suitable candidate is found.

We look forward to getting to know you!

About Maastricht University

At Maastricht University, we collaboratively seek solutions to help move the world forward. We do this with 23,300 students and 5,400 employees across 5 regional locations, 6 faculties, and more than 70 research institutes. We encourage you to push boundaries and discover new opportunities for yourself and the world around you. Together, we can find the answers for tomorrow.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.