The successful candidates hold a PhD in philosophy. They are committed, engaging and capable teachers, as demonstrated by prior teaching experience and/or a sample lecture (if invited to an interview). They are capable of and enjoy teaching philosophy to both philosophers and non-philosophers and on subjects outside their areas of specialization. 

The candidates are also good researchers with a track record of publications (e.g., in good international journals or books with good publishers) or show the capacity to develop such a record. The candidates are expected to publish in good journals, to apply regularly for external research funding and to participate in the research activities of the Department. The candidates are open to interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration outside of their specialization. The successful candidates find it important to engage with society as a philosopher, for example by participating in public debates.

We will appoint four assistant professors in philosophy. The AoS of positions 1 and 2 are open, but must fit the research focus, interests and responsibilities of the Department. See: https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/about/schools/tshd/departments/dphil.
The AoS of position 3 is: popular culture, cultural heritage, identity and society.
The AoS of position 4 is: linguistic justice.

Specifics position 1 (area of competence)

The successful candidate will coordinate or be involved in teaching major courses on ethics, including business ethics, in non-philosophy Bachelor programs. The candidate will also teach courses in (business and organization) ethics, history of philosophy and/or social philosophy in the Philosophy BA or MA Programs. Thesis supervision will also be part of their tasks. Fluency in Dutch (C2) is a strong advantage for this position. 

Specifics position 2 (area of competence)

The successful candidate will coordinate or be involved in teaching major courses on philosophy of mind and/or philosophy of science in non-philosophy Bachelor programs. The successful candidate will also teach philosophical methodology, phenomenology, epistemology, philosophy of data, and/or philosophy of language in the Master and Bachelor philosophy program. Thesis supervision will also be part of their tasks. Fluency in Dutch (C2) is a strong advantage for this position.

Specifics position 3 (area of specialization and competence)
(AoS) The successful candidate does research at the interface of popular culture, cultural heritage, memory, identity and society. Their research is motivated by the realization that popular culture and popular media (including tv-series, games, and music) have a key role in the production and development of immaterial cultural heritage which includes the production and development of dominant (re)presentations of the past. The successful candidate will intensify the collaboration with the Department of Culture and acknowledges the importance of social media and digitalization for modern popular culture in their research.

(AoC) The successful candidate will coordinate or be involved in teaching major courses on philosophy of communication, online culture and philosophy of art, media and society in the Master and Bachelor philosophy programs and in non-philosophy Bachelor programs. The successful candidate may also be asked to teach either the history of philosophy, ethics or political philosophy. Thesis supervision will also be part of their tasks. Fluency in Dutch (C2) is welcomed for this position.

Specifics position 4 (area of specialization and competence)

(AoS) The successful candidate does research on linguistic justice, including the relationship between linguistic diversity, literacy, inequality and inclusion in (digital) society.  

(AoC) The successful candidate will coordinate or be involved in teaching major courses on social and political philosophy and/or philosophy of communication in non-philosophy Bachelor programs. The successful candidate may also be asked to teach social and political philosophy, ethics, history of philosophy and/or philosophy of communication in the Philosophy BA or MA Programs. Thesis supervision will also be part of their tasks. Fluency in Dutch (C2) is welcomed for this position.

The positions (Dutch: UD Filosofie) include teaching (50-55%) and research responsibilities (40%) as well as management or academic citizenship tasks (5-10%). Teaching responsibilities include coordination of or participation in 4-5 courses per year at both the Bachelor and Master levels. A significant portion of these tasks involves teaching philosophy to large classes of non-philosophy students (at Bachelor level). 

Given the Department’s overall teaching needs, societal embeddedness, and other responsibilities, moderate proficiency in Dutch is a long-term requirement. The successful candidates are expected to be able to speak Dutch at an advanced level (B2) after 7 years (intermediate goal: A2 after 5 years). As many courses are taught in English, the candidates must have a good command of English from the start and obtain C2 level in writing and speaking in English before the contract becomes permanent.

If not already acquired, successful candidates are expected to acquire a University Teaching Qualification (BKO). Tilburg University offers courses for acquiring this certification. It is welcomed if the candidates are prepared to move to (the vicinity of) Tilburg. Successful candidates must remain at least 60% of their working days in the Netherlands (as a requirement of tax and social security laws).

The positions will be ranked in the Dutch university job ranking system (UFO) as assistant professor 2 (“universitair docent 2”). The starting gross salary for a full-time appointment is (minimally) € 3974,- up to (maximally) € 5439,- per month (max  € 75.906,- all in per year). Following successful performance, successful candidates receive a permanent contract after 18 months.

Tilburg University

Tilburg University is an inspiring university offering a stimulating and challenging environment for students, staff, and alumni. The university highly values authenticity, academic freedom, professionalism, and continuous development. The university is committed to addressing equality issues in society at national and international levels. It does so by training people for positions of responsibility in society and by contributing to socially sustainable solutions. In so doing it draws on the rich tradition of which it is part.

Tilburg University is committed to the value of diversity and, in that spirit, welcomes applications from underrepresented groups within philosophy and academia, including members of minority groups and people with disabilities. Information about the various measures Tilburg University has undertaken to increase gender equality, diversity and inclusion can be found on the Working at Tilburg University /Gender & Diversity page.

Tilburg University is rated among the top of Dutch employers and has excellent terms of employment, such as a holiday allowance of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3% (annually), an options model and reimbursement of moving expenses. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may qualify for a tax-free allowance equal to 30% of their taxable salary. The university will apply for such an allowance on their behalf. The Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences will provide assistance in finding suitable accommodation. The collective labor agreement of the Dutch Universities applies.

Department

The Department of Philosophy (DFI) at Tilburg University is both an important center of academic teaching and internationally recognized for its research. It offers a lively, amicable, and stimulating teaching and research environment. The department provides a supportive, collegial environment that aims to be free from a (unhealthy) climate of competition.

Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences