The Department of Political Science and Public Administration is committed to high quality academic education and research. Our educational programmes include: governance and organisation (bachelor), public administration (master), political science (bachelor and master), philosophy, politics and economics (bachelor, with the faculties of Humanities and Economics), and law and politics of international security (master, with the Law Faculty). Our research is always based upon a normative and inspired engagement with public values and concrete social issues. Our programme distinguishes itself with attention to the quality and integrity of governance (conflicting public values), and the governance of big current societal themes, especially security, and care and welfare.

The Department is looking for an Assistant Professor in Public Administration who contributes to the research program New modes of governance and who teaches, primarily, in the governance and organization bachelor and the master in public administration. Thematically, we are looking for a candidate with expertise on new modes of collaborative governance between state and society and the complex societal steering mechanisms associated with that, preferably in the area of quality of governance or governance of care and welfare. The preferred candidate has a proven track record of international publications, an appealing research agenda and the potential to acquire research subsidies. S/he should be able to teach on challenges of collaborative governance in the context of the wider domain of public administration and, preferably, already holds a Basic Teaching Qualification. Dependent on the profile and experience, the successful candidate can start as UD2 or UD1, and can come in a tenure track towards a UD1 or UHD 2/1 position.

We offer a position in a lively and engaged department that is dedicated to good teaching and maintains strong contacts with societal partners. At a faculty level, we offer professional support for the acquisition of research subsidies through the research faculty’s institute, the Institute for Societal Resilience. At the interfaculty level we benefit from thematic cross-faculty collaborations around the VU-theme ‘Governance for society’ and more specific themes in the fields of, among others, security, welfare, care and migration.

Your duties

• teach and develop courses in Dutch (mainly) and English at the Bachelor- and Master level
• thesis supervision
• conduct research and publish in the field of Public Administration
• obtain external means for research

• a PhD in the Social Sciences, preferably Public Administration and/or Political Science
• successful and promising research track, preferably in the area of quality of governance or governance of care and welfare
• an inspiring teacher (preferably in the possession of a Basic Teaching Qualification / BKO)
• able to cooperate in a team setting

Fixed-term contract: 50 months.

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. On full-time basis the remuneration amounts to a minimum gross monthly salary of €3,637 (scale 11)
and a maximum €5,656 (scale 12), depending on your education and experience. The job profile: is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 1 FTE.

The initial employment contract will affect a period of 50 months, with the possibility of extension.
Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus,
• contribution to commuting expenses 
• good growth opportunities
• good paid parental leave scheme
• child daycare facilities available on campus

Given the composition of the staff of the Department, we warmly invite female candidates to apply 

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. And to be a university where personal education and societal involvement play a leading role. Where people from different disciplines and backgrounds work together on innovations and on generating new knowledge. Our teaching and research embrace the whole spectrum of science – from the humanities, the social sciences and the pure sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 24,500 students. We employ more than 4,600 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible, located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
Diversity is one of our university’s core values. We are an inclusive community, and we believe that diversity and international activities enhance the quality of education and research. We are always looking for people who can enhance diversity on our campus thanks to their background and experience.

Faculty of Social Sciences
The Faculty of Social Sciences examines the major social problems of our time from multiple perspectives. From bullying at school to dealing with illegal immigration, from the rise of populist politicians to creating a self-reliant society. Only at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam you will find all the academic disciplines needed to understand these 'wicked problems': alongside the traditional disciplines such as sociology, anthropology and politics, we also research and teach the new social sciences such as communication science and management & organization science. We do not settle for easy answers in our teaching and research. Our researchers and students are critical thinkers and doers who work together to devise surprising solutions to the problems of today.

Working at the Faculty of Social Sciences means working with colleagues from a range of academic disciplines in an inspiring and personal work and study environment with excellent research facilities. We employ more than 250 staff members, and we are home to around 2,500 students.