Lecturer in Political Science – Comparative Politics

Do you have a PhD in Political Science and some teaching experience? Are you interested in teaching a diverse and international student community? The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) offers a position as a Lecturer in Political Science (D3).

Join Our Team as a Lecturer in Political Science

We are seeking a lecturer in Political Science (D3) to join our team of lecturers and researchers and our vibrant international student community. We are looking for a lecturer who is enthusiastic about teaching a variety of courses in our undergraduate and graduate Political Science programs and supervising theses. More specifically, you have a profile in Comparative Politics and the ability to teach a variety of research methods. Teaching will take place in our Bachelor of Political Science, Master of Political Science, and in our shared Bachelor Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). You will be assigned teaching tasks that are part of the current programmes but that also leave room to put your own mark on them.

The position is for the duration of one year. An extension of two more years is possible if we are happy with your performance and if the finances of the department and the faculty allow so. The candidate must be available by February 1, 2026 at the latest.

Your Profile

• A completed Master's degree and a PhD in Political Science and/or a relevant adjacent discipline
• A demonstrable affinity with teaching
• Knowledge of and competence in teaching in Comparative Politics and Research Methodology
• An excellent command of the English language (command of the Dutch language is valuable but not required)
• Based in the Netherlands and in possession of a work permit
• In possession of a BKO (UTQ) or willing to obtain one

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 meet all the requirements.

What We Offer

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. In return for your efforts, we offer you:

• A salary of minimum €4.728,00 (Scale 11) and maximum €6.433,00 (Scale 11) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Teacher 3. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• A position for at least 0.8 FTE, including 0.1 FTE development time and 5% departmental participation.
• Your employment contract will initially last 1 year. Afterwards, the possibility of expansion exists with a maximum of two more years.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• Contribution to commuting expenses
• Solid pension scheme (ABP)
• Group insured for partial disability with employer contribution of 50% of the premium

About Us

The Department of Political Science and Public Administration
The Department of Political Science and Public Administration is committed to high quality academic education and research. Our educational programmes include Political Science (Bachelor and Master), Public Administration and Organizational Science (Bachelor B&O), Public Administration (Master), Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Bachelor, with the Faculty of Economics), and Law and Politics of International Security (Master, with the Law Faculty).

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
A better understanding of ourselves and social communities, values and meaning, through social sciences and humanities. That is the aim of The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. No single discipline can do this alone. The SSH disciplines are characterised by an open way of thinking and the natural urge to seek coherence and connection.

The faculty consists of nine academic departments within three schools: School of Religion & Theology (SRT), School of Social Sciences (SSc) and School of Humanities (SH).

Are you interested in joining Social Sciences and Humanities? You become part of a dynamic academic community with approximately 900 staff members, over 5,000 regular students and more than 5,000 course participants. In an inspiring and collegial environment, we work together on education and research with impact.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, 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.

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.