Many of the major societal challenges of our current and future world - including political-administrative reforms, building administrative capacity for resilience and risk-management, creating inclusive and sustainable, safe communities - warrant a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach that links institutions, behaviour change and new technologies. Innovative technologies are also increasingly used to understand behaviour in our rapidly digitalizing world. The HIB department comprises expertise in public administration, communication science and psychology and aims to integrate institutional, societal, (inter)organizational and individual perspectives on behaviour change and technology. In our research and teaching we strongly focus on how technology-based policy solutions support people, communities, and populations in behaviour that promotes their resilience, safety, connectedness, health and joy. 

The challenge
We seek a talented new colleague with a background in the field of institutional behaviour and new technologies. We invite you to develop a new multi-disciplinary line of research on institutional behaviour change - including changes in public governance, public policies and (semi-)public organizations -  in a contemporary technological context in cooperation with us. We are looking forward to collaborating in our quest to find sustainable solutions to questions such as: How do governments, citizens, international organizations (like the UN or EU) and semi-public organizations react to and make sense of new technologies and data? How do new technologies shape the way public and semi-public agencies and citizens behave and interact? Are you looking for forward-thinking in a team-based environment, to support us in strengthening the link between innovative research methods, technology, public policy, and institutional behaviour change? Do you wish to be part of an exciting, newly developing department? Join our team and strive to have a significant and balanced impact on social science and society.

Responsibilities
You contribute to research, teaching, and knowledge valorisation. You will:

• carry out research in the exciting field of institutional behaviour change and technologies, within the R&T group Public Administration;
• develop an interdisciplinary research line that fits with the multi-disciplinary (public administration, psychology and communication science) approach to behaviour change in a contemporary technological context of the HIB-department;
• teach in bachelor and master programs of Public Administration (including European Studies), Communication Science and Psychology;
• expand your network and acquire external research funding;
• contribute to the interdisciplinary research domains of resilience, emerging technologies and societal transformations, or health in the Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social sciences (BMS);
• develop expertise in novel data-driven research methods.

Candidates we seek

• hold a PhD degree in one of the relevant social sciences (such as public administration, public policy, governance sciences, European studies, etc.) in relation to behaviour change in a contemporary technological context, preferably with an interest in psychology and/or communication science;
• are passionate teachers in multidisciplinary approaches to institutional behaviour change, preferably holding a University Teaching Qualification, and are able to teach and supervise students in educational programs of public administration, European studies, communication science and/or psychology;
• can underscore their talent with a track record in peer-reviewed publications, presentations and grant-acquistion;
• have expertise with multidisciplinary approaches to institutional behaviour change;
• are able to have a leading role in multidisciplinary resarch (public administration, communication science, psychology);
• have a specific research interest for contemporary technological developments, in the context of social science and are active in scientific and professional networks for acquiring research funding;
• are teamplayers and possess good communication and collaboration skills;
• have an excellent command of English; a good command of Dutch is preferable.

Hiring diversity
Our cluster is dedicated to encouraging a supportive and inclusive working culture. Our aim is that all job applicants are given equal opportunities. When we select candidates for employment, it will be on the basis of their aptitude and ability. To support the workforce diversity, we are open to offer flexible working conditions on an individual basis to support work-life balance, that may include contract of employment, working hours and location, and child care arrangements.

We offer a contract for four years with the prospect of a permanent position (possibility to effectuate sooner). The starting salary, depending on your experience, ranges between € 3.746 to € 5.826 gross per month (in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities), based on the job profile Assistant Professor. In addition, the University of Twente offers additional attractive employment conditions (8% holiday allowance, 8.3% end-of-year bonus, solid pension scheme, sabbatical leave, professional and personal development programs, etc.).

The HIB-department is one of  four departments at the faculty. The department is committed to design, evaluation and implementation of and teaching about comprehensive technology-based solutions supporting people in behaviour that promotes their health, safety, resilience, connectedness and joy. The HIB-department comprises research groups of Communication Science; Psychology, Health & Technology; Psychology of Conflict, Risk and Safety; and Public Administration. For more information on these groups, see: https://www.utwente.nl/en/bms/organization/departments-institutes/#department-clusters