We are looking for an ambitious person, eager to develop education and research. He/she is directed to make knowledge available to students, starting and experienced chaplains, ministers, and wider audiences of people working in varying fields of chaplaincy. Together with the Tilburg School of Theology we are cooperating in the UCGV, a platform of knowledge and research in the work fields Military, Prison, Health Care, and Community Care. The new full/associate professor has a clear view on teamwork and is a successful team player in research.

The person we are looking for is dedicated and is able to speak and write in a very clear way about education programmes. He/she likes publicity and attracts (media) attention. He/she will be initiating or be involved in new programmes in (under)graduate, and postgraduate education. He/she easily communicates with target groups of different ages and backgrounds and likes to bring them in contact with PThU.

Teaching

The candidate will be required to contribute to the development, teaching, assessment and administration of the existing three year MA programmes (full-time and part-time), and to the Bachelor programmes in Groningen and Amsterdam. This teaching will include module design and delivery, including post-academic training for ministers and chaplains, and innovative courses for other professionals. Attendant duties include supporting and evaluating students on chaplaincy/ pastoral placement visits and writing reports. In addition, the candidate is expected to supervise theses, contribute to tutorials, and to the wider teaching of the PThU.

Research

The candidate will be committed to high-quality research, publication and dissemination of findings in the field of Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy Studies. The PThU is a centre of excellence in this field and the candidate is expected to contribute to, to develop, and to support research initiatives with colleagues in our university as well as with national and international partners. The candidate will take a leading role in the University Centre for Spiritual Care. She/he will develop an attractive profile for PhD candidates and supervise PhD theses. She/he will be independently securing grant income, or in collaboration.

Present research activities of the chair for Chaplaincy Studies include:

1. Dutch Case Studies Project, and
2. Participation in a (ZonMw funded) project on narrative interventions in palliative primary care, both in connection with the University Center for Chaplaincy Studies, as well as
3. Action research with the University of Groningen on spiritual care in the Groningen (human induced) earthquake region.

Support of these projects will be expected.

Engagement

The candidate will undertake administrative duties related to the activities of the PThU. These may include:

• participating in meetings related to programmes
• representing the PThU in marketing and recruitment of students
• developing relationships with stakeholders
• participating in open house days, organization of conferences and seminars
• assuming a leading role in professional associations and networks

• A doctoral degree in subject area of Chaplaincy Care
• Substantial breadth and depth of knowledge within relevant subject area as shown by list of (peer reviewed) publications and presentations
• Evidence of teaching qualifications and experience
• Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills
• A high degree of creativity and evidence of innovative capacity
• Evidence of at least four years of relevant church/faith based professional experience
• Applicants for the position of full professor have a wide experience of attracting and supervising PhD's
• Applicants for the position of full professor have obtained grants

Fixed-term contract: one year contract and after a positive first year evaluation this will be extended for four years.

The PThU offers you a one year contract and after a positive first year evaluation this will be extended for four years. Upon proven suitability, the position might become permanent from then on.  

• The job is based in Groningen, in the North of the Netherlands, with teaching obligations and meetings in both Groningen and in Amsterdam.
• The salary and employee benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (VSNU).
• Salary indication: from € 6.133 (scale 13) to € 8.127 (scale H2) maximum gross per month for fulltime position, i.e. 40 hours per week. The attractive employment package includes an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, generous leave provisions for a healthy work-life balance, a good pension scheme, excellent options for collective insurance.
• 70% of your commuter travel costs will be reimbursed (public transport, 2nd class). Costs for business related trips will be reimbursed 100%  (public transport, 1st class).
• You will have a specific budget for conference and symposia participation, as well as for any other competence training activities.

Depending on capacity and experience the candidate will be offered a tenured track to, or immediately start as full professor/chair holder.

Associate professor

When appointed as associate professor, the start of the tenured track includes the composition of a development plan by the associate professor. In the development plan the candidate elaborates what activities will be undertaken and what results are expected to be reached, with the ultimate aim to qualify as full professor.

The tenure track is expected to take five years. Assessment criteria are good teaching evaluations, publishing in high ranked journals and being successful in getting research grants. The PThU Board for the Conferral of Doctoral Degrees may grant ius promovendi to the associate professor at the start or during this track, depending upon the candidate's experience.

Protestant Theological University (PThU)

The Protestant Theological University (PThU) is a university for theology based on a religious view of life, located in Amsterdam and Groningen, The Netherlands. The PThU specializes in the theological study of the Christian faith worldwide, past and present. Our education aims for training of a new generation of leading theologians.

Our research aims for critical reflection on the dynamic areas of faith, churches, and World Christianity by focusing on the interaction between faith sources and contemporary or past religious configurations, as well as between religious configurations and socio-cultural contexts.

The PThU performs this task in close relation with living Protestant faith traditions. Research and education are shaped by four core values that we have formulated in our 2018-2022 Institutional Development Plan: ‘sharp of mind’, ‘broadly oriented’, ‘deeply rooted’ and ‘rich in spirituality’.

Read more about the PthU

Profiling chair of Chaplaincy Studies

The area of Chaplaincy Studies is precious to our university. That is the reason we decided to create a profiling chair. The Master of Theology at the PThU in Groningen offers a specialization in chaplaincy.

This study in Groningen consists of a broad orientation in theology, partly in conversation with students from different parts of the world. Specialization courses in spiritual care and ethics provide students with knowledge and skills to assist people professionally, and to be guiding in moral questions. In the program the students discover the relevance of theology for varying secular-religious contexts. 

The new colleague we are looking for is deeply aware of and involved in ongoing debates about the place of chaplaincy, church, state, and society in Western Europe.