Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to contribute to research on citizen responses to government implementation of supranational policies? You will contribute to developing and testing fresh perspectives on the linkages between European policies, national policy implementation, and citizen attitudes towards government responsiveness.

The main objective of the project is to investigate the influence of various strategies used to address international demands during policy implementation on citizen perceptions of government legitimacy and responsiveness. To achieve this, we will differentiate between implementation and justification strategies at both the local and national levels, examining their impact on how citizens perceive government actions. The project focus will extend to three highly contested policy areas: welfare policies, environment, and migration policies. To address this research objective, the project will collect new experimental data (vignettes) on citizen perceptions about European policy implementation.

Job description
As a postdoctoral researcher, you will have the opportunity to shape and adapt elements of the research project to align with your own interests and goals. The project is embedded in a broader research project: Policies and politics of inequality and its consequences for society. The aim of this broader project is to understand the relationship between societal challenges caused by rising populism, migration, climate change, welfare reforms, and institutional responses to these challenges. You will be part of a dynamic research team, which includes two PhDs and five experienced staff members. As a member of this team, you will receive comprehensive support to foster your growth as a senior researcher.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Developing theoretical framework to examine the relationship between implementation of European policies and citizen perceptions of government responsiveness and legitimacy.
• Designing and implementing factorial survey experiments (vignettes) on citizen perceptions of national and local implementation strategies and outcomes.
• Conducting innovative research leading to publications in high-quality social science journals.
• Participating in other activities of the project, organizing a workshop, contributing to public debate, and managing outreach activities of the project.
• Contributing to the teaching activities of the department and support in developing teaching skills.
• Collaborating with other researchers within the Policy, Politics and Society team and department of Public Administration and Sociology.

Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained by contacting Dr. Asya Zhelyazkova (zhelyazkova@essb.eur.nl) or Dr. Agnieszka Kanas (kanas@essb.eur.nl).

• Completed (or close to completion)PhD degree in Political Science, Sociology, Public Administration, or other related disciplines.
• Strong academic record as evidenced through one or more of the following: publications, awards/honors, grants/fellowships.
• Strong and explicit interest and motivation for scientific research.
• Excellent command of English.
• Expertise in quantitative research, including advanced statistics

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 01-01-2024 and you will be based at Campus Woudestein in Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB). This position is for 0.8 fte - 1 fte FTE. The salary is dependent on your experience and knowledge and ranges from a minimum of € 4.332 to a maximum of € 5.929 gross per month (scale Scale 11) on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The contract is entered into for the duration of 1 year (and extended with 1.5 years after proper functioning).

Other conditions of the contract are as follows:

• Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre
• Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME, QuEUR, or Young Erasmus Academy.
• Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget, foreign exchange opportunities with most costs paid by EUR, and free access to our university library.
• Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.
• Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare.
• Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the 30%-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

Erasmus University Rotterdam

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 3.700 academics and professionals and almost 33.000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities. www.eur.nl.

Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB)
The Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences is home to a vast diversity of scientific disciplines: public administration, pedagogical sciences, psychology and sociology. In addition, the Erasmus University College, IHS, and two research institutes RISBO and DRIFT are linked to the faculty. This also reflects in the content of the (international) bachelor's and master's programs and in research. Our activities are always focused on people and society. At the ESSB fundamental, internationally oriented research is of paramount importance. In addition, social research for professionals, policy makers, and the society is part of our research activities. ESSB offers a stimulating research environment where major national and international research grants are received. Appealing guest researchers and ambitious PhD candidates come along to conduct their research. Our education is small-scale and works with innovative forms of education such as Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Both the Dutch and English programs are highly ranked by students and alumni. ESSB is home to over 4000 students and more than 400 staff-members. The different disciplines are supported by the Faculty Office (for more information, please visit www.eur.nl/essb).

Department of Public Administration and Sociology (DPAS)

DPAS covers the disciplines of Public Administration and Sociology. Two related scientific fields with different profiles. Public Administration studies governance capacity and policy interventions. It focuses on the institutional power to organize and intervene in the relations between different social, political and economic actors. Public Administration in Rotterdam goes well beyond the public realm itself and pays attention to public-private cooperation and networks of organizations. Sociology investigates the social structure of societies and the way it evolves. Sociologists in Rotterdam focus among other things on processes of globalization and individualization and on the effects of these processes on international social relations, the labor market or family relations. Related social problems that are studied are migration, flexibilization and solidarity. The perspectives of Public Administration and Sociology complement each other. Together they guarantee a highly relevant and scientific approach to topical administrative and social issues. The bachelor- and masterprogrammes of DPAS are build on this profile and educate students to become scientifically schooled professionals.

Policy Politics and Society Team (PPS)
The team Policy, Politics and Society (PPS) is an interdisciplinary team that does research and provides teaching around a broad set of complex policy issues. Working together based on the principles of team science, PPS aims to provide a stimulating and creative environment for academic development. Besides scientific impact, societal impact and engagement (with communities, governments, organizations) are key trademark of the team. Within PPS, specializations have emerged on a number of complex policy issues, such as institutional reform, welfare and inclusion, European and global governance, resilient cities, e-governance, and on migration and diversity.