 From 1987 to 1997 van der Sanden was curator of the archaeological department of the Drents Museum in Assen.Since 1997 he has been the provincial archaeologist of the province Drenthe.Van der Sanden was a member of the Werkgroep Hunebedden (Woprking group Megalithics) from 1988 to 1999 and since 1988 has been editor-in-chief of the archaeological section of the "Nieuwe Drentse Volksalmanak".