The T.M.C.Asser Institute seeks an Academic Director and Chair of the Board for the T.M.C. Asser Institute, who upon appointment, will also hold the position of Professor at the Amsterdam Law School at the University of Amsterdam for twenty percent of the appointment.

The T.M.C. Asser Institute is a distinguished research hub specializing in international and European public and private law. Renowned nationally and internationally, the institute conducts independent fundamental, policy-oriented, and commissioned research, while also fostering professional education and knowledge dissemination through academic gatherings and public events. With an annual turnover of approximately €7,000,000, a dedicated team of 50 professionals, and strong international engagement, it plays a vital role in advancing legal scholarship. Governed by a two-member board, the institute places a strong emphasis on research quality and strategic projects, with the Academic Director as Chair and the Managing Director overseeing administrative and financial aspects. Located in The Hague, the institute is deeply connected to global justice networks and is at the forefront of shaping the future of international and European law.
 

The institute is affiliated with the University of Amsterdam, particularly the Amsterdam Law School. The UvA provides an annual basic subsidy for the Institute. The collaboration between the institute and the UvA is established in an agreement with a term extending until 2030.
 

Committed, responsible, and open-minded – this is how the Amsterdam Law School views the role of law in a constantly changing (international) society. With over 5,000 students and 550 staff, the Amsterdam Law School is one of the larger law faculties in the Netherlands. The Amsterdam Law School educates legal professionals who know how to apply the law effectively with the aim of making a real contribution to solutions for society. They respond to social developments through innovative and pioneering research.  In this way, the Amsterdam Law School always stays in touch with society.

The Academic Director will be a recognized scholar in the field of either international public law, European law, or international private law. The succesful candidate will provide visionary leadership and strategic direction to the institute, ensuring alignment with the University of Amsterdam's strategic agenda. This role involves representing the institute in academia, legal practice, policy, and social discourse while ensuring a sustainable financial future for the institute and nurturing T.M.C. Asser’s international network in The Hague.

Responsibilities

The Academic Director holds the following tasks and responsibilities:

Leadership and Strategy

• Providing leadership in the development and execution of the institute's strategic policy and annual policy plan, including ensuring alignment between the institute's strategy and the strategic agenda of the University of Amsterdam (UvA);
• Identifying relevant legal and social developments, and translating them into the institute's strategy, particularly in terms of initiatives in research, education, and valorisation;
• Providing direct leadership and guidance to the scientific staff of the Institute, including recruitment, selection, and evaluation of scientific staff.

External Engagement and Representation

• Representing the institute in academia, legal practice, policy, and social discourse;
• Maintaining contacts with the UvA and relevant external partners (institutions, stakeholders), as well as nurturing and expanding the (Hague-based) international network to further strengthen the Institute's position.

Research

• Ensuring the quality of researchers and research output through performance evaluations, career and talent development, implementation and monitoring of performance indicators, and mentoring of individual researchers (working with coordinators);
• Steering the implementation of the Institute’s Strategic plan, and the further development of new initatives;
• Attracting and initiating the acquisition of second- and third-stream research, and initiating and overseeing the acquisition of research and valorisation projects within the framework of the research program;
• Organizing the Institute’s research structure and the distribution of  tasks;
• Developing and monitoring of the research budget.

Education

• Responsibility for the organization of programs for PhD candidates and visiting scholars;
• Responsible for ensuring the substantive quality of (post-)graduate and professional education activities and the coordination between research and education programs;
• Encouraging the Asser research community to function as a learning organization.

Experience and Profile

The Academic Director and Chair of the Board identifies with most of the following criteria:

• A renowned scholar with a PhD or equivalent qualification in the field of either international or European public or private law. This record should be evident through publications in top-tier journals in the field, acquisition of research grants, leadership positions in academia or (inter)national organisations, relevant research and policy networks, and the successful supervision of PhDs and postdocs;
• Relevant administrative roles in an academic or research organisation or other complex organisations in the legal field, and experience in leading research teams;
• Well-established networks both within and beyond academia, with a particular focus on the international legal landscape in The Hague;
• Demonstrated experience and a keen interest in securing external research funding and spearheading projects on a national and international scale;
• Proficiency in research valorisation and effectively disseminating knowledge;
• Experience of excellence in academic teaching, as evidenced by teaching evaluations and qualifications (such as BKO, SKO).

Candidates with limited Dutch language skills must possess a strong grasp of Dutch academic and administrative culture and be prepared to attain an advanced level of proficiency in the Dutch language within two years of starting, aligned with their role's demands and responsibilities.

Competences

For the effective execution of the roles, the following core competencies are essential:

• Context Awareness: Being well-informed about (inter)national, societal, political, and professional developments,  and effectively utilizing this knowledge for one's role and organization;
• Vision: The ability to step back from daily practice, focusing on key principles and contemporary developments and long-term policies;
• Results-Oriented Leadership: Providing direction and guidance to employees and project groups to achieve objectives and results;
• Inclusive Leadership: Fostering synergy among a group of employees, promoting mutual engagement, and motivating employees to form effective collaborations, considering team diversity;
• Resourcefulness: Introducing new or original ideas, perspectives, and solutions;
• Persuasion: Gaining support for ideas and plans from others;
• Entrepreneurship: Identifying opportunities and possibilities for the development of new knowledge and application areas. Acting on these opportunities and taking calculated risks;
• Intercultural Sensitivity: Being aware of one's own and other cultures and effectively acting and communicating within a different culture. Ability and experience in working with diverse and international groups of scholars.

Terms of Employment

The Academic Director will be employed at the T.M.C. Asser Institute in The Hague, which is financed through the University of Amsterdam (UvA), through a strategic relationship established in 2020.

An employment contract comprising an appointment as Academic Director at the T.M.C. Asser Institute as well as a professoriate at the UvA Law faculty are offered. The appointment as Academic Director is for a period of five years with the possibility of extension.

The employment contract is for 38 hours per week. Depending on relevant experience at the start of the employment, a gross monthly salary ranging from  €7.405 tot €10.635 will be provided, based on a 38-hour workweek, excluding an 8% vacation allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus. The Dutch Universities Collective Labour Agreement (Cao Nederlandse Universiteiten), as well as Dutch law in general will be applicable to the contract.