PhD position Getting All on Board - creating mutual understanding among stakeholders (0.8 - 1.0 fte)

Are you passionate about how (local) governments and citizen collectives collaborate? Are you triggered to better understand (inherent) power imbalances in public-private partnerships? Are you inspired to break through boundaries and bridge governments, citizen collectives and community at large to benefit public service delivery and public policy? Then this PhD position might be of interest to you.

The Institute of Public Administration at Leiden University is looking for a full-time PhD researcher who will conduct a 4-year PhD project. The PhD project is part of the larger research consortium ECCO: Empowering Citizen COllectives in societal transitions. The PhD researcher will actively participate in the consortium and collaborate with senior researchers, fellow PhD researchers and several stakeholders like citizen collectives and government organizations.

The research project
Citizen collectives, such as housing, care and energy cooperatives, are often seen as facilitators of inclusiveness and participation. Yet, they also regularly fail to represent citizens who are not part of the collective (non-participants) and both citizen collectives and government officials often struggle to collaborate properly with each other. As a result, citizen collectives run the risk to not fully realize the democratic potential commonly attributed to them.

This research project operates on the assumption that enhancing the relationship between citizen collectives, local governments, and non-participants, and improving the effectiveness of collectives as intermediaries, requires a deeper understanding of the underlying drivers of their collaborations and interactions. Citizen collectives, local governments, and non-participants often view one another through their own lenses, leading to communication breakdowns where they talk past each other rather than engaging constructively. This separation can perpetuate stereotypes and exacerbate conflicts, further complicated by the inherent power imbalances in public-civil partnerships.

In the PhD project, you will study how to create mutual understanding among citizen collectives, local governments, and non-participants. What factors are driving or hindering mutual understanding among actors and under what conditions? You will apply a mixed-method design (including Q-methodology, focus groups, interviews and observations) to identify citizens’ and government officials perspectives and mechanisms that hinder inclusive and effective collaboration. Part of the project is the development of a serious game as a tool to foster cooperation among citizen collectives, local governments, and non-participants.

What you will do
For this PhD research, we are looking for a talented and passionate researcher with affinity for academic research carried out in close collaboration with citizen collectives, stakeholders within the consortium and fellow (PhD) researchers. We expect the following:

• Design and conduct academic research on the topic described above, using a mixed method design.
• Publish scientific articles in international and national academic journals, and present papers at (inter)national academic conferences.
• Participate in national and international academic research networks.
• Engage in small-scale teaching tasks within the core programmes of the Institute of Public Administration.
• Discuss and present research findings within the consortium, and present the research findings to a larger audience.
• Participate in courses to improve methodological and academic skills.
• Work independently but at the same time collaboratively within a team at the Institute of Public Administration and within the consortium of ECCO.

Where you will work
The mission of the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs (FGGA)? Contributing to society. The faculty does this through high-quality interdisciplinary education and (new) scientific knowledge. Whether it is terrorism, security, artificial intelligence or a governance solution to the housing crisis, contemporary issues are comprehensively addressed at FGGA.

In the heart of The Hague, where important decisions are made, students and professionals come together to gain knowledge and skills. There is much collaboration with academic and societal partners, which ensures that students leave university with a smile and one foot in the future, ready to make a substantial contribution to society.

FGGA is one of the seven faculties of Leiden University. This young, entrepreneurial, innovative organisation has three scientific institutes, two centres, over 3,700 students and 425 staff members. For more information about the faculty, click here.

The Institute of Public Administration, which is part of FGGA, is one of the largest and oldest institutes on academic research and teaching in the field of public administration in the Netherlands. The institute combines a solid international academic reputation with a central positioning among the international, national, regional, and local governance institutions in The Hague. The institute has an international profile and gets high peer reviewed ratings, both for its research and education. More information on the Institute of Public Administration.

What you bring
In this team, we are looking for someone who can work independently. Every job is different, so in the beginning we will devote attention to your onboarding. If some of the work activities are new to you, we will look together at what you need, and draw up a development plan. This position is a good fit for you if you recognise yourself in the following:

• A Masters’ degree in a relevant discipline, including public administration, political science and political sociology.
• Experience with academic research and with qualitative research methods (such as interviewing and Q-methodology) specifically.
• Driven to pursue a PhD degree.
• Ability to independently shape and structure research projects and to finish projects on time and under pressure.
• Ability to work in a team of fellow (senior) researchers.
• Ability to translate complex issues and research findings into attractive outlets.
• You have (near) native proficiency in Dutch and English as the research project will be conducted in the Dutch context, but the wider academic field communicates in English.
• Curiosity and creativity to tackle new research puzzles.

If you immediately recognise yourself in this profile, or if do you not quite meet all the requirements, but you believe that this is the right job for you, we look forward to your application!

What we offer
Our goal is to work together to create a transparent and inclusive work environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated. Our organisation is always evolving and we need your ideas for improvement and innovation to take us further. We want to devote attention to your personal development.

You can count on an enjoyable job within the socially relevant world of education and research. The University's challenging and international work environment is located just steps away from Leiden’s lively city centre or the bustling city centre of The Hague. We also want to work with you to devote attention to your health and vitality, for example with the fun activities we organise through Healthy University.

We also offer:

• An employment contract for 38 hours a week (1.0 fte) as a PhD candidate, initially for a period of 1 year, with the possibility of extension for 3 years after a positive evaluation. This contract falls under the CLA of Dutch Universities;
• A salary of a minimum of € 3059,= and a maximum of € 3881,= gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours) (scale P0-P3)
• A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;
• Full reimbursement of public transport commuting costs for home-to-work travel;
• Flexible working hours: as a standard, you are entitled to a minimum of 29 leave days on the basis of a full-time working week of 38 hours; you can also save for extra leave, for example by working 40 hours a week, and in this way accrue an extra 96 leave hours, or exchange 96 leave hours for a 36-hour week.
• Lots of options when it comes to secondary employment conditions; we can, for example, discuss options for a sabbatical or paid parental leave. Within our terms of employment individual choices model, you can exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits such as an advantageous sports subscription or bicycle scheme, and we also offer child-care options;
• If your work allows it, hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands;
• A home-working allowance (day and internet allowance) and attention for good workplaces. The University will also provide you with a laptop.
• All our PhD students are embedded in the Graduate School of Governance and Global Affairs. Our graduate school offers several PhD training courses at three levels: professional courses, skills training and personal effectiveness.

For more information about employment conditions, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions

What we find important
Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. Leiden University aims to be an inclusive community in which all students and staff members feel valued and respected, and are able to develop to their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High-quality education and research means inclusive education and research.

Want to apply or find out more?
If you want to apply straight away, click the application button. Please ensure that you upload the following additional documents in PDF format, quoting the vacancy number:

• Motivation letter (2 pages maximum);
• Curriculum vitae;
• Grade list Master diploma;
• A sample publication (research paper, article, thesis);
• The names and addresses of two potential referees.

If you would like more information about what the job entails, please contact Dr. Carola van Eijk, Assistant Professor, at c.j.a.van.eijk@fgga.leidenuniv.nl. You can apply until February 15, 2026; applications will be processed immediately thereafter. Interviews will take place in March. The PhD project will start in September 2026.

To help us get to know each other better, we follow a number of steps in the application procedure. For more information, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions

• We believe mobility is important. That is why we are also publishing this vacancy internally. In case of equal suitability, we will give priority to the internal candidate.
• A pre-employment screening of references and diplomas may be part of the selection procedure.
• Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated. If you nevertheless choose to send us CVs, no rights can be derived from this.