Full Professor (Universitair Hoogleraar) of International Relations (38 hours a week)

What you will do
The Institute of Political Science of Leiden University is looking for candidates for appointment as Professor of International Relations. The position is fulltime, starting as soon as possible. This new professorship is linked to the significant expansion of the institute’s teaching programme in international relations, and to the recruitment in recent years of many outstanding young scholars researching and teaching in the field of international relations.

The new chair/professor will provide research and educational leadership in the complex and dynamic field of international relations. The position is open regarding subfield and methodological approach. However, we are particularly interested in candidates who would bring new areas of expertise to the Institute’s full professor ranks.

The new professor will be expected to conduct and publish advanced research on international relations, to mentor junior colleagues, to teach BSc and MSc students and supervise PhDs in this and related areas of political science, and to play a leading role in applying for external research funding and in the intellectual and administrative life of the Institute.

Where you will work
The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences consists of five institutes: Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, Education and Child Studies, Political Science, and Psychology. The faculty has approximately 7000 students and 1000 staff members. Within the institutes, not only education is provided but also groundbreaking research is conducted that pushes the boundaries of our understanding of human behaviour and societal structures. What makes our faculty unique is the diversity of research topics, the various styles of teaching, and the way professional support is organized; this provides you with the opportunity to explore and develop your interests and expertise. Visit our website for an impression: Welcome to the Leiden Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences - Leiden University.

Institute of Political Science
Leiden University was the first university in the world to appoint a Professor of Politics (Daniel Hensius in 1612) and its Institute of Political Science is today a broad disciplinary unit with approximately 80 lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors and full professors, plus PhDs and post-doc researchers based in Leiden and in The Hague, where a large part of the teaching is done. The institute’s academic staff and its student body are each approximately half Dutch and half international.

The Institute is well known for pioneering research on parliamentary governance, political parties, electoral behavior, and Dutch politics, and is increasingly recognized for its significant expertise in international relations and European politics. The institute’s research staff publish regularly in top journals and academic presses and are consistently successful in attracting national and European research grants. The Institute houses a number of editorships of international refereed journals and book series.

The institute’s research programme ‘Institutions, Decisions and Collective Behaviour’ encompasses eight research clusters with overlapping membership: Conflict, Conflict Resolution and Crisis Management; Elections, Communication and Public Opinion; European Integration; Identity, Ethnicity and Political Community; International Organisation; Legitimacy and Justice; Politics in The Netherlands; Representation and Political Parties. Members of the institute are also involved in a number of the university’s multi-disciplinary research centres, including Central and East European Studies, International Relations, Parties and Representation, and Political Philosophy.

The Institute’s offers a range of taught programmes at the Bachelor and Master levels and also trains PhD students in political science. The BSc programme includes general Political Science (in Dutch & English, in Leiden), International Politics (in Dutch & English, in Leiden), and International Relations and Organisations (in English, in The Hague). The one-year MSc programme includes five specialisations in Leiden and one in The Hague and is taught mostly in English. The introduction of the IRO specialisation in 2017 led to a substantial increase in the total number of BSc students, including many from other countries. This in turn led to a significant expansion of our teaching staff in the area of international relations. Most PhD students are supported by the staff’s research grants.

What you bring
Candidates for this position must possess a PhD, a strong record of publications in leading journals and/or scholarly presses, a clear agenda for future research that relates to the research programme and strategic plan of the Institute and Faculty, and preferably a proven track record of winning research grants, leading research projects, supervising PhDs to completion, and mentoring junior colleagues. They must be experienced in designing and delivering high-quality education at undergraduate and graduate levels, including lectures, seminars and thesis supervision. They must have the necessary maturity and experience to provide visionary, inclusive and respectful leadership within the Institute of Political Science. They should be willing to take on an administrative position possibly shortly after the appointment.

A proven capacity for inclusive and respectful leadership is thus an important requirement for appointment to this position. This is central in the ‘Academia in Motion’ framework of Leiden University, which aims to further develop as an inspiring and open knowledge community in the years ahead, with a better balance between education, research and societal relevance, better methods of Recognition & Rewards, and more emphasis on Open Science, teamwork, well-being and leadership. In line with this, the Faculty of Social Sciences strives to be a knowledge community based on the collaboration between researchers, faculty, support professionals, students and non-academic partners in which an inspiring, safe and attractive environment is provided, with attention to well-being, social safety, diversity and inclusiveness, a fair workload, an exciting job for all, and genuine recognition and appreciation for all contributions to our common goal: to conduct leading research and teaching in social and interdisciplinary science with a substantial positive impact on society.

Candidates must be fluent in English and preferably have a working knowledge of Dutch; if not, the readiness to learn Dutch in a short period of time (max. two years) is required. Experience in linking research to policy and public debates and societal needs is a major plus. Candidates whose profile would increase diversity in the institute’s senior staff are strongly encouraged to apply.

If you immediately recognise yourself in this profile, or if you do not quite meet all the requirements, but you believe that this is the right job for you, we look forward to your application!

What we offer
Our goal is to work together to create a transparent and inclusive work environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated. Our organisation is always evolving and we need your ideas for improvement and innovation to take us further. We want to devote attention to your personal development.

You can expect an enjoyable job within the socially relevant world of education and research. The University's challenging and international work environment is located just steps away from Leiden’s lively city centre or the bustling city centre of The Hague. We also want to work with you to devote attention to your health and vitality, for example with the fun activities we organise through Healthy University.

We also offer:

• The Chair will have an appointment in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities;
• A salary of a minimum of €6.894 and a maximum of € 10.038 gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours) (scale H2). The exact salary will depend on experience;
• A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;
• Flexible working hours: as a standard, you are entitled to a minimum of 29 leave days on the basis of a full-time working week of 38 hours; you can also save for extra leave, for example by working 40 hours a week, and in this way accrue an extra 96 leave hours, or exchange 96 leave hours for a 36-hour week.
• If your work allows it, hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands;
• A home-working allowance (day and internet allowance) and attention for good workplaces. The University will also provide you with a laptop and a mobile telephone (if applicable for the position).

For more information about employment conditions, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions Applicants from outside The Netherlands may be eligible for reduced taxes for a number of years, subject to approval by the government’s tax office.

Leiden University attaches great importance to the quality of its teaching. It therefore requires all academic staff with teaching duties to possess the University Teaching Qualification or be prepared to earn this within two years.

What we find important
Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. Leiden University aims to be an inclusive community in which all students and staff members feel valued and respected, and are able to develop to their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High-quality education and research means inclusive education and research. Leiden University is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from women and members of underrepresented groups. In case of equal suitability, preference will be given to a female candidate.

Want to apply or find out more?
If you want to apply straight away, click the application button.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 CET on 30 September 2024. An interview and an independent assessment of leadership skills will be part of the selection procedure. Include the following separate documents integrated into a single PDF:

• Statement of interest (cover letter) outlining how the candidate envisages to fulfil the outlined tasks.
• Full CV, including education, appointments, leadership experience, publications, grant-acquisition record, and contact details for three referees.
• Leadership statement highlighting lessons learned from past and ongoing experience at research group, educational programme, institute/department, faculty, or university levels.
• Research statement outlining past and ongoing research activities as well as planned research and how it would fit the task.
• Teaching statement outlining preferred methods and teaching experience, plus a list of courses taught and student evaluations from the last 2-3 year

If you would like more information about what the job entails, please contact Prof. Daniel Thomas, at d.c.thomas@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.

To help us get to know each other better, we follow a number of steps in the application procedure. For more information, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/werken-bij/sollicitatieprocedure-en-arbeidsvoorwaarden

• We believe mobility is very important. That is why we are also publishing this vacancy internally. In case of equal suitability, we will give priority to the internal candidate.
• A pre-employment screening (references, diplomas, certificate of good conduct (VOG)) may be part of the selection procedure.
• Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated. If you nevertheless choose to send us CVs, no rights can be derived from this. #LI-Hybrid