The position as managing director of the Department of Earth Sciences combines 'business' with 'policy and content'. For one part it concerns responsibilities for a number of financial and administrative issues, coordinating housing issues, social affairs, internal communication, etc.
The other part is giving guidance to the department's strategies for research, education, impact and HR. In this, I also have coordinating or steering roles in responding to outside directives (faculty, university, ministry), in providing adequate management information for the university, its partners, and its 'peers', etc.
Basically, through this position I operate in the heart of the department.
Since 2019, I combine these tasks with the position of business manager of the Earth Simulation Laboratory (ESL) technical support team of the Faculty of Geosciences. The team develops and maintains research equipment and gives some support in the use thereof. I myself, I don't get into the technical stuff, just look at the business side of things.