Lecturer Latin American and Global Studies

The department of History, European Studies, Religious Studies and Latin American Studies (GER), and specifically the capacity group of Latin American Studies (CEDLA), is looking for a candidate to teach in the ‘Master’s in Latin American Studies’ (MLAS), the Bachelor Minor programmes ‘Latin American Studies’ and ‘Global Justice’, specifically in courses on Latin American and global politics and justice. The candidate can also be asked to teach courses in the Bachelor programme ‘Global Arts, Culture and Politics’ (GACP) and in the Amsterdam University College. The candidate has expertise in the broad area of Latin American politics and society, including (un)democratic processes, social movements, social justice, culture and/or contemporary history; we welcome additional expertise on other regions, qualitative methods and/or urban studies.

What are you going to do?
This is a teaching position. You will engage with various educational duties, including teaching, coordinating and designing courses, supervising theses and innovating programmes. You will be educating a wide range of students from different disciplines, programmes and backgrounds. The courses touch upon complex contemporary topics, which require you to stay up to date with academic, political and social developments and debates. You will also play a crucial role in elevating the educational quality of the abovementioned programmes by identifying opportunities to introduce fresh, inspiring content and innovative teaching methods. You do this together with the CEDLA team and other colleagues of the Faculty of Humanities, and with the support of the Teaching and Learning Centre.

You will teach a curriculum that has already been developed, contribute to further improving education in the broad field of Latin American Studies and international themes of politics, justice and culture and identify opportunities for improvement. You can be deployed on a broad range of educational duties for the capacity group and education programmes and teach inspiring lecturers and seminars. In addition, your educational duties will include supervising theses and contributing to innovations and improvements of the curriculum.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Teaching and coordinating Bachelor’s and Master’s courses;
• supervising Bachelor’s and Master’s theses;
• making contributions to the development and implementation of innovations in didactics and/or content of the designated curriculum;
• staying up to date with the professional literature and integrating new research insights in teaching the designated curriculum;
• performing education-related management duties;
• participating in education committees and working groups and performing administrative duties.

You are enthusiastic and enjoy teaching and guiding students in their learning process. You seek opportunities to enhance your skills as a teacher while staying updated with new teaching methods and technologies. You communicate clearly to students and colleagues, are proactive and provide feedback and suggestions. You want to be part of a small team of teachers who are primarily concerned with social changes in Latin America. You have an interdisciplinary background and an interest in working in a multi-cultural teaching and working environment. You are also solution-oriented and have good time-management skills.

Your experience and profile

• PhD in a relevant discipline (Social Sciences and/or Humanities);
• experience with teaching in BA and MA programmes at an academic level, specifically in the areas of Latin American politics, social movements, social justice and/or contemporary history; we welcome additional experience with teaching on other regions;
• experience with digital and audio-visual equipment for education;
• affinity with IT in academic education;
• team spirit and a willingness to participate in activities of CEDLA;
• willing and able to cooperate in multidisciplinary teaching projects;
• administrative experience and skills;
• good command of Dutch and English. If you do not speak Dutch, an active and passive command must be acquired within two years of employment. Passing the state examination for Dutch as a Second Language programme II is a prerequisite for a permanent employment contract;
• a University Teaching Qualification (UTQ), or willing to acquire this within two years of employment.

We also expect that candidates have experience with/in Latin America, to have knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese and to follow current developments in the region.

We offer permanent employment upon a satisfactory evaluation following a temporary employment contract of a maximum of 12 months with a probationary period of two months. The employment contract is for 30.4 hours a week. Preferred starting date is 01 January 2024.

Please note that this is a teaching position that does not include any research time.

The gross monthly salary ranges between € 4,332 to € 5,929, based on 38 hours per week and relevant experience. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8,3% year-end allowance. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

What else do we offer?

• excellent possibilities for further professional development and education;
• an enthusiastic, inspiring and professional academic team;
• the opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers at research institutes that - partly as a result of their interdisciplinary approach - are world renowned.

The University of Amsterdam is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 42,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity.

The Faculty of Humanities provides education and conducts research with a strong international profile in a large number of disciplines in de field of language and culture. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the faculty maintains close ties with many cultural institutes in the capital city. Research and teaching staff focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and are active in several teaching programmes.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the link below. The deadline for applying for this vacancy is 22 November 2023.

Applications should include the following information, submitted in one single pdf document by uploading this in the required field ‘CV’:

• a letter of motivation (max. 2 pages);
• a detailed CV, including your main publications (max. 4 pages);
• a one-pager with an idea for a new course for one of the BA programmes, including a title, short content description, three learning goals, a list of five lecture topics, and an activating assignment (max. 1 page);
• the names and email addresses of two references who can be asked to provide letters of recommendation.

Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered.

The interviews will be held in the course of 4 - 15 December. A trial lecture may be part of the application procedure.