This position is within the research program in the Social Psychology section which adopts a strong interdisciplinary and international orientation to research, theory, and methods.  We are searching for a candidate whose research focuses on psychological, economic, and evolutionary perspectives on social interactions, including trust and cooperation, between individuals and groups. The section is particularly interested in expanding their expertise in the direction of using agent-based modeling and simulations to study human cooperation.

The candidate is expected to

• develop a strong, innovating program of research
• acquire external grant funding to support their research
• conduct excellent teaching
• show departmental citizenship
• engage in valorisation activities
• the candidate contributes to major parts of the Section’s teaching programs,  and supervises Bachelor’s, Master’s, and, where possible, PhD students

• completed PhD-thesis in the social, evolutionary, behavioral or computer sciences
• fit with research program, with its focus on trust, emotion, and human cooperation
• expertise in computational modeling and simulation is desired
• demonstrated methodological skills and expertise with advanced statistics (ideally with R)
• demonstrated ability to publish in peer-reviewed academic journals
• demonstrated ability to acquire external research funding is a plus
• teaching experience (as evidenced by excellent teaching evaluations)
• excellent communication and organizational skills

Fixed-term contract: 5 years.

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.

The initial employment contract will affect a period of 5 years.
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
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• contribution to commuting expenses,
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package,
• possibility to save holiday hours, for sabbatical leave

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 26,500 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 Behavioural and Movement Sciences
The Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences focuses on the broad domain of behaviour and health. Our teaching and research programmes are devoted to current developments in society, from healthy aging to e-health, from juvenile crime to dealing with depression, from training for top athletes to social media as a teaching tool. We are unique in that we combine three academic disciplines: psychology, movement sciences and education.

Working at Behavioural and Movement Sciences means working in an ambitious organization that is characterized by an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. Our faculty offers tremendous scope for personal development. We employ more than 600 staff members, and we are home to around 3,400 students.
 
The department
The Department provides a vibrant, international research climate with high quality academic staff and students who are supported by excellent research facilities (e.g., multiple labs for experimental research, equipment for neuroscience measures), and expertise in statistics. The Department has a strong international reputation in psychological science, as indicated by excellent research assessments, high quality publications, high standards for teaching and mentoring, and frequent visits by international scientists.

Social Psychology has a strong commitment to theory development, innovative research, and applications to dyads, groups, and society. Research and teaching have a strong international and interdisciplinary orientation to the broad and interrelated topics of trust, emotion, and human cooperation. The Section participates in various research institutes and graduate schools (Institute for Brain and Behavior, Kurt Lewin Institute, Netherlands Science Centre for Criminology), and offers a 2-year Research Master program in Social Psychology which has been formally recognized as an “excellent-quality” program.