Junior Lecturer Environmental Studies

Do you believe teaching is key to a sustainable future? Want to help train the next generation of sustainability professionals and gain teaching experience? The Institute for Environmental Studies (VU) is looking for a Junior Lecturer to support its teaching activities.

The Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) engages in a range of sustainability-related bachelor and master programmes and courses, including the bachelor programme Aarde, Economie & Duurzaamheid (AE&D), the master programmes Environment and Resource Management (ERM) and Hydrology, and the Earth Science master track Global Environmental Change & Policy (GEC&P).

We are looking for a Junior Lecturer (Junior Docent) to support IVM’s teaching engagements. The candidate will join a small team of Junior Lecturers, working in a vibrant research and teaching environment at IVM.

You should have a clear affinity with interdisciplinarity, and a strong interest in sustainability-related areas, such as climate, biodiversity, food, energy, water and land use. You should have clear ambitions and interest in academic teaching, demonstrating the ability to promote our students’ intellectual and personal development, and prepare them to succeed, lead and serve a more sustainable society. You should be comfortable teaching in English (Dutch is an advantage) at bachelor and master levels, including thematic, methodology and research design courses. You should also be open to a wide range of teaching formats including lectures, working groups, qualitative and quantitative research methods, as well as an interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving.

Your duties

• you support teachers in coordinating and executing their courses
• you (occasionally) provide lectures and lead working groups (e.g. interactive class elements, computer practicals, and group assignments)
• you (occasionally) support field work activities and excursions
• you assist in developing high-quality teaching materials both off- and online
• you acquire a basic qualification in teaching (BKO)
• you engage in the professionalisation track of junior teachers at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, participating in peer-to-peer exchanges with other junior teachers

Your profile

• you have a university masters’ degree in interdisciplinary sustainability studies and/or social science with a strong focus on sustainability
• you have good knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies (e.g. content analysis, statistics, computer coding or GIS), including their use in interdisciplinary research design
• you posses good presentation skills
• you have organisational, communicative and connective skills that allow you to collaborate with a wide variety of students and teachers
• you are flexible, independent and adaptive to take on new tasks and learn new skills

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not fully meet all the requirements.

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable.

• a position for at least 0.8 FTE
• your employment contract will last 4 years
• the job profile (Docent 4) is based on the university job ranking system (UFO)
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• contribution to commuting expenses
• a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge
• participation in the training scheme towards the University Teaching Qualification

About the Institute for Environmental Studies

The work will be carried out at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM). IVM is a leading environmental research institute that is internationally recognized for its high quality research output in a range of environmental disciplines, as well as for its interdisciplinary work. The mission of the institute is to contribute to sustainable development and care for the environment through scientific research and teaching. IVM aims to do excellent problem-oriented research that is useful to a wide range of stakeholders in the Netherlands and internationally. A unique strength of our research is to understand sustainability problems in their social and economic context. The IVM research community works within four departments: Environmental Economics; Environmental Policy Analysis; Environmental Geography; and Water and Climate Risk. IVM is part of the Faculty of Science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

About the Faculty of Science

Working at the Faculty of Science means collaborating with students, lecturers and researchers who are focused on their field, yet have a broad view of the world. We are proud of a positive and inclusive workplace culture within the faculty, where we work together with great energy and a pragmatic attitude to tackle social challenges. At the Faculty of Science, scientists and students work on fundamental and complex societal issues for a sustainable, healthy and just future.

About Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research.