Two Assistant Professors in Public Administration

Do you want to help shape the future of public governance? Join us in The Hague to strengthen our outstanding team of researchers and teachers and add your expertise on public policy and governance.

What you will do

The Institute of Public Administration at Leiden University is looking to appoint two new colleagues as Assistant Professors in Public Administration (Universitair Docent Bestuurskunde). Both positions contribute to the institute’s research and teaching in the fields of public policy, public management, (regulatory, European) governance, and/or public values. We are particularly interested in candidates with a research and teaching affinity to sustainability or digitalisation.
You will contribute to research, education and impact in the domains of public policy, and governance. You will teach in our general public administration programmes, and/or in our sustainability- or digitalisation focused programmes. Your research is embedded in the institute’s research programme and you will be encouraged to develop interdisciplinary projects and acquire external research funding.

Your key tasks are:

• Teach, improve and potentially develop courses in bachelor and master programmes in Public Administration.
• Supervise bachelor’s, master’s and potentially PhD theses.
• Initiate and conduct your own independent line of research in the field of public policy / public administration, leading to impactful academic publications and activities;
• Apply for external research funding (e.g. NWO, Horizon Europe).
• Contribute to the administrative and organisational duties within the institute.
• Participate in national and international academic research networks.
• Collaborate with societal stakeholders in knowledge exchange and impact activities.

Where you will work

The mission of the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs (FGGA) is to contribute to society. The faculty does this through high-quality interdisciplinary education and (new) scientific knowledge. Whether it is terrorism, security, artificial intelligence or a governance solution to the housing crisis, contemporary issues are comprehensively addressed at FGGA.

In the heart of The Hague, where important decisions are made, students and professionals come together to gain knowledge and skills. There is much collaboration with academic and societal partners, which ensures that students leave university with a smile and one foot in the future, ready to make a substantial contribution to society.
FGGA is one of the seven faculties of Leiden University. This young, entrepreneurial, innovative organisation has three scientific institutes, two centres, over 3,700 students and 425 staff members.

The Institute of Public Administration, which is part of FGGA, is one of the largest and oldest institutes on academic research and teaching in the field of public administration in the Netherlands. The institute combines a solid international academic reputation with a central positioning among the international, national, regional, and local governance institutions in The Hague. The institute has an international profile and gets high peer reviewed ratings, both for its research and education.

What you bring

We are looking for two talented scholars who can contribute to both teaching and research in public policy and governance. This position is a good fit for you if you recognise yourself in the following:

• You hold a completed PhD in Public Policy, Public Administration, Political Science, or a closely related field;
• You have a clear research agenda and demonstratable affinity with one of the topics specific to one of these positions;
• You have publications in national and international scientific journals or demonstrable potential to realise them;
• You are enthusiastic about teaching, have experience with university teaching and are open to innovative and activating teaching methods;
• You are enthusiastic to teach in the Institute’s core programmes, including Public Administration (MSc), as well as in one of the programmes related to one of the thematic foci of this position, such as Science for Sustainable Societies (BSc), Governance of Sustainability (MSc), Digitalisation, Governance and Society (BSc), or Artificial Intelligence & Society (Minor).
• You have a university teaching qualification (BKO) or are willing to obtain one within two years.
• You can work independently yet are also a team player in research and education and like to work with colleagues, also across academic disciplines.
• Experience with interdisciplinary collaboration and societal engagement is an asset.
• You have (near) native proficiency in Dutch and English or willingness to master a C1 level of fluency in Dutch within two years, for which the Institute offers support.
• If you are passionate about this position but may not meet all requirements, we still encourage you to apply.

What we offer

Every job is different, so in the beginning we will devote attention to your onboarding. If some of the work activities are new to you, we will look together at what you need and draw up a development plan. Our goal is to work together to create a transparent and inclusive work environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated. Our organisation is always evolving and we need your ideas for improvement and innovation to take us further. We want to devote attention to your personal development.

You can count on an enjoyable job within the socially relevant world of education and research. The University's challenging and international work environment is located in the bustling city centre of The Hague. We also want to work with you to devote attention to your health and vitality, for example with the fun activities we organise through Healthy University.

We also offer:

• An employment contract for the duration of 12 months. After a positive evaluation the appointment can be extended further to a permanent one. This contract falls under the CLA of Dutch Universities;
• A salary of a minimum of € 4.537,- and a maximum of € 6.209,- gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours) (scale 11);
• A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;
• Full reimbursement of public transport commuting costs for home-to-work travel;
• Flexible working hours: as a standard, you are entitled to a minimum of 29 leave days on the basis of a full-time working week of 38 hours; you can also save for extra leave, for example by working 40 hours a week, and in this way accrue an extra 96 leave hours, or exchange 96 leave hours for a 36-hour week.
• Lots of options when it comes to secondary employment conditions; we can, for example, discuss options for paid parental leave. Within our terms of employment individual choices model, you can exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits such as an advantageous sports subscription or bicycle scheme, and we also offer child-care options;
• If your work allows it, hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands, but we encourage colleagues to be in the office frequently;
• A home-working allowance (day and internet allowance) and attention for good workplaces. The University will also provide you with a laptop.

What we find important

Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. Leiden University aims to be an inclusive community in which all students and staff members feel valued and respected, and are able to develop to their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High-quality education and research means inclusive education and research.