Amsterdam University College (AUC) has a vacancy for a Head of Studies, Social Science.

As the Head of Studies Social Sciences you will be responsible for:

• assuring AUC’s mission of 'Excellence and Diversity in a Global City' is realised for each individual student;
• the development, implementation and management of AUC’s Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science curriculum in the social sciences, in conjunction with cross-disciplinary cooperation within the team of Heads of Studies, Director of Education and Senior Tutor in order to create together an engaging and high quality and liberal arts and sciences programme at Bachelor level;
• the coordination and HR management, as a hierarchical supervisor (leidinggevende), of the social sciences team at AUC (the core faculty (academic staff contracted to AUC), currently 8 lecturers/tutors);
• providing guidance for quality in teaching of all social sciences lecturers (core faculty and partner faculty (academic staff teaching at AUC but contracted to other faculties/units of UvA and VU)) and ensuring a coherent curriculum both in terms of academic focus and quality;
• the implementation of course evaluations and peer-review procedures and the provision, development and implementation of suggestions for improvement on the basis of aggregated data;
• the maintenance and further cultivation of relationships with relevant VU and UvA faculties and institutes, including managing and developing arrangements for the deployment of their academic staff to teach at AUC;.
• the development and maintenance of relations with external stakeholders, including relevant (inter)national networks, partnerships or communities in scientific, social, cultural, and business circles;
• contributing to the management of AUC through active participation in meetings of the extended management team;
• other tasks as may be assigned to you by the Dean.

As Head of Studies Social Sciences you will report to the Director of Education.

You:

• are committed to developing excellence and diversity in teaching and learning and have experience with curriculum development;
• have a PhD in the social sciences;
• preferably have a Senior Teaching Qualification (SKO) or an equivalent qualification;
• have a particular interest in interdisciplinary approaches to teaching;
• have experience in managing a study programme and its academic staff (leadership), including human resource management as a supervisor (leidinggevende) and cooperation with support staff;
• have experience with the management of academic quality;
• preferably have a strong international profile and network and a good understanding of (and experience with) liberal arts and science education;
• have a (near) native level of proficiency in English (C1 or C2 in the CEFRL) and preferably fluency in Dutch and/or one other language;
• are willing to engage with students and to join a multidisciplinary and international team;
• are able to reach out to internal and external stakeholders and constituencies to enrich the curriculum and the student learning experience.

Fixed-term contract: one year.

We are offering a part-time (19 hours a week, 0.5 fte) appointment as Head of Studies, which will be combined with teaching tasks and/or other AUC tasks to extend it to a maximum 38 hours a week (full time/1.0 fte/minimum is 30 hours a week (0.8 fte)). The appointment is offered for one year in the first instance with the possibility of a permanent contract. Depending on academic record and experience, salary for the position will be between €5,039 and €6,133 gross per month (salary scale 13; UFO profile is Programme Manager (opleidingsmanager) 1), based on full-time employment. All AUC employees are employees of the University of Amsterdam (UvA). The UvA has an extensive package of secondary benefits, including a generous holiday allowance and end of year allowance. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

Amsterdam University College

Amsterdam University College (AUC) was established by the VU and the UvA in 2009. It offers their international Liberal Arts and Sciences joint-degree programme for approximately 900 Bachelor students. The social sciences team is responsible for the social science courses, which includes courses in Health, Anthropology, Environmental Economics & Policy, Economics, Law, Political Science, International Relations, Sociology and Cognition. The Head of Studies manages the team and reports to the Director of Education.