Are you driven to discover how the development of psychosocial problems in children can be prevented or treated? Do you want to participate in one of the leading research universities in Europe? Effective immediately, we are seeking a Postdoctoral researcher in Social & Social-Cognitive Development (1,0 FTE).

Project description

Our ongoing longitudinal Social Development Project is tracing early social development with a unique combination of multi-informant, social-cognitive, and observational assessments. Having started in the project as babies, participants now reach important social milestones in early adolescence. We now aim to study their present development of a.o. self-esteem, identity, social relations, and psychopathology, and their associations with earlier social-cognitive development.

For this project, we are seeking a new colleague to continue and extend the project, with expertise in social (-cognitive) and longitudinal-experimental research, and affinity with the clinical field.

What will you be doing?

You will:

• design and conduct scientific research on the development of psychosocial problems in children, leading to scientific publications; research will focus on development of social cognition and social relations; it will include continuation of the longitudinal study and additional new experimental studies;
• disseminate these findings and participate in collaboration with societal partners;
• help acquire new projects and research funding;teach courses in the master program developmental psychopathology and concomitant bachelor programs and supervise master theses.

The ratio between research time and teaching time is 70%/30%.

You have:

• graduated in a relevant discipline and doctorate on a relevant theme;
• demonstrated autonomy and creativity in designing innovative research;
• expertise in designing and conducting longitudinal and experimental research and with publishing scientifically;
• excellent teaching skills and affinity with students;
• intrinsic interest in fundamental science addressing societal issues.

Our offer

The position concerns a temporary employment contract of 30 to 38 hours per week for a term of one year. If the candidate proves suitable, barring unforeseen organisational developments and assuming sufficient FTE availability, we intend to extend the term of employment for an extra two years.

Salary depends on past education and relevant work experience, with a minimum salary of €2,790 and a maximum salary of €5,127 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week (in keeping with scale 10-11, as per the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities). We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary employee benefits, including a generous holiday scheme and year-end bonus. Because we value your continued personal development and professionalization, we also offer excellent opportunities for study and development.

What else can we offer you?

A challenging work environment with a variety of duties and ample scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organization. You will build on a unique ongoing longitudinal study and a broad range of relevant expertise and facilities (e.g. labs, family observation, social-cognitive tasks, interactive virtual reality).

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.

Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences – Child Development and Education

The social and behavioural sciences play a leading role in addressing the major societal challenges faced by the world, the Netherlands and Amsterdam, now and in the future. To work at the University of Amsterdam is to work in a discerning, independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterized by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

The Department of Child Development and Education offers a range of Bachelor's and Master’s degree programs in the field of developmental psychopathology and education, while its research is embedded in the Research Institute of Child Development and Education, and Research Priority Area’s Yield and Urban Mental Health.

The development of social behaviour in childhood has lasting effects on the life course in multiple domains, such as friendships, relationships, school, work, and mental health. Problematic development of social behaviour entails major harm and costs for children, their environments, and society. Our group studies how social problems develop and how they can be prevented or treated. Key to our approach is understanding and changing the mechanisms that maintain behaviour patterns, such as social information processing, family interaction patterns, and peer social networks. This approach does not only increase our understanding of social development, but directly contributes to more effective (preventive) interventions that are increasingly used by children, parents, teachers, and clinicians, with lasting benefits. 

Our education contributes to the bachelor Pedagogal Sciences, the mastertracks (Forensic) Developmental Psychopathology and Youth at Risk, and the Research Master Child Development and Education.

In research and education we cooperate closely with societal partners, such as clients, mental health care, schools, correctional institutions, and municipalities.