Senior lecturers Political Science

Are you passionate about teaching and hold a PhD in Political Science? If so, this might be the perfect job for you! We are looking for an all-round senior lecturer who can inspire our international, engaged, and ambitious students at all stages of the Bachelor and Master programmes and contribute to the strategic development of our curricula. We seek someone with the ambition and commitment to pursue a career in academic teaching, unlike an Assistant Professor role which includes academic research.

It’s time to teach!
The Department of Political Science is looking for an experienced senior lecturer to cover courses in all stages of the BA and MA programmes. We need someone who can develop elective courses on various specialized themes, supervise theses at the BA and MA levels, coordinate large tutorial team courses on methods and/or academic skills and teach lectures for introductory courses, . In this role, you will be part of the permanent teaching staff, contributing to the development of our curricula and monitoring and improving our general quality of education. This position offers 10% teacher development time, which can be used at your discretion.

What are you going to do

• Develop elective courses for the Bachelor and Master programme on various specialised topics based on your expertise and interest;
• Supervise thesis projects in the Bachelor and Master programme, as well as related study programmes;
• Coordinate and teach tutorial group courses (leading teams of 10 or more junior lecturers) in the Bachelor programme;
• Teach lectures in introductory courses on topics such as research methods, international relations, European politics, policy and governance, and more. You might be asked to teach courses in other related study programmes;
• Contribute to the quality of teaching and the curricula via active collaboration on a variety of on-going initiatives in our programmes.

What do you have to offer

• A PhD in Political Science, International Relations or Public Policy.
• At least one year experience in developing, teaching and/or coordinating political science courses at the university level, including thesis supervision.
• Ability to develop and teach introductory and advanced courses, as well as thesis projects on topics in the realm of international relations, political economy and/or public policy.
• Capacity to teach in English and/or Dutch, and a willingness to acquire passive knowledge of Dutch within three years. Teaching in Dutch is preferred but not mandatory.
• The basic qualification at Dutch universities in higher education (Basiskwalificatie Onderwijs; BKO) certificate, or a willingness to acquire such;
• A collaborative relationship with practitioners/policy-makers to benefit teaching, or a willingness to develop such relationships.

What else do we offer you
A challenging disciplinary and interdisciplinary work environment with a variety of duties and ample scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organisation. To work at the University of Amsterdam is to work in a discerning, independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

The position concerns temporary employment of 30,4 hours per week. We offer a temporary employment contract of a maximum of 12 months with a probationary period of two months. Upon proven suitability and unchanged financial and organizational circumstances, the contract will be converted into a permanent employment.

Salary depends on past education and relevant work experience. For this position the University Job Classification profile Docent 3 applies, with a minimum salary of €4728 and a maximum salary of € 6433 gross per month based on full-time employment for a 38-hour working week, in keeping with salary scale 11, as per the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities. We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary benefits, including a generous holiday allowance and a year-end bonus. Applicants from abroad can be eligible for the 30% tax incentive scheme over a period of five years. Parental leave is standard for 16 weeks. Because we value your continued personal development and professionalisation, we also offer excellent opportunities for study and development.

On top of these renumerations, we offer you a position in which initiative and input are highly valued, an enthusiastic and warm team that is open to new colleagues, and an inspiring academic and international working environment in the heart of Amsterdam.

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritise diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity. We especially welcome applications from members of underrepresented groups. In case of equal qualification, female and minority candidates will be given preference.

In this department, you will work
The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest spectrum of degree programmes. It is an intellectual hub with 39,000 students, 6,000 employees and 3,000 doctoral students who are all committed to a culture of inquiring minds. 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.

The Department of Political Science is a large department, part of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG). The Department of Political Science strives for thematic breadth and methodological and epistemological pluralism. Teaching is offered both in English and in Dutch, in BA- and (Res)MA-programmes that offer options for thematic and methodological specialization.

We strive for excellence in a caring institute. We wish to reflect society in all aspects, as we believe that this improves the dynamics in our organization. Therefore, we support and understand the need for a work/life/family balance and consequently varying working hours and places.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam in general, and the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences specifically.

If you recognize yourself in this profile and are interested in the role, we look forward to receiving your motivation letter outlining your potential contribution to our teaching team. Please also submit your CV, including past work experience and qualifications (research, teaching, and/or management).

You can apply via the red button until October 23rd 2025. Interviews will take place in the second and third week of November. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be given preference over external candidates.

We aim for a starting date that allows a candidate to teach in the second semester, meaning February 1st at the latest.

For questions about the vacancy, you can contact: Judith Huigens (j.c.huigens@uva.nl).

For technical and procedural questions, you can contact: Merijn Collignan (m.a.collignon@uva.nl)