The Department of Political Science and Public Administration is committed to high quality academic education and research. Our educational programmes include political science (bachelor and master), governance and organisation (bachelor), public administration (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 organized in two programmes: Multi-level governance and New modes of public governance. A central theme in our teaching and research in political science is the way in which domestic politics and international relations have become systematically interconnected.

The Department seeks an Assistant Professor in Political Science with a specialisation in quantitative comparative politics. Thematically, the preferred candidate holds expertise in political behaviour in advanced democracies, with a particular eye for broader transnational trends that affect this behaviour and the various ways in which such trends are mediated by national institutional systems. We are looking for a candidate who is enthusiastic to teach courses on political institutions, political behaviour, quantitative methods and policy-making. The candidate is to hold a PhD in political science and to have a strong methodological background, including experience with state-of-the-art quantitative methods. S/he is to have a proven track record of international publications, an appealing research agenda and the potential to acquire research subsidies.

The Assistant Professor contributes to the research programme of Political Science entitled "Multi-Layered Governance in EUrope and beyond". S/he will
conduct research, publish this in international, refereed journals and, where possible, disseminate the findings to a wider public. The Assistant Professor is
expected to teach a variety of courses in political science at Bachelor and Master level, possibly also including the VU Bachelor in Philosophy, Politics and
Economics. S/he will be active in acquiring external research funding, alone or with colleagues, and s/he may co-supervise PhD candidates.

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

• undertake independent research and realize international peer-reviewed publications
• apply for external research funding
• teach and coordinate a variety of courses in political science at the bachelor and the master level
• co-supervise PhD students
• take on managerial duties at the assistant professor level
• participate constructively and positively in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration

• a PhD degree in political science
• demonstrable experience with high-quality teaching in political science
• proven track record in publishing in international refereed journals
• demonstrable expertise in political science methods and a good command of state-of-the-art quantitative methods
• an attractive research agenda that fits the political science research programme “Multi-layered governance in EUrope and beyond”
• willingness to acquire external research funding
• excellent command of the English language
• a willingness to learn Dutch (for non-Dutch applicants)
• the ability to work in a team as well as independently

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 €4,978 (scale 11), 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.

Foreign candidates may be entitled to a 30% tax break, upon approval of the Dutch tax agency.

The envisioned starting date is 1 January 2020. The appointment will be initially for 50 months. After satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the intention is to turn the positon into a permanent one.

Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
• 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.