Associate Professor of Political Theory

The Department of Political Science at the Nijmegen School of Management (Radboud University) is looking for an Associate Professor with the potential to achieve Full Professor status in the field of applied political theory within three to five years.

As Associate Professor of Political Theory, you will be a leading, internationally active researcher in your field of expertise. Expertise within the current Political Theory group ranges from radical democracy and resistance, recognition and urban justice to democratic backsliding and political corporate responsibility. We welcome applications that add to our strengths and value a diversity of perspectives, experiences and academic trajectories. In particular, but not exclusively, we welcome candidates with scholarly profiles that complement our current profile such as environmental political theory, theories of technology and power, feminist and gender theory, postcolonial political thought, and global and transnational political theory.

First and foremost, you should be a highly motivated and committed scholar who values collaboration and is able to contribute positively to our academic community. You are an accomplished teacher at the undergraduate and graduate levels and have a proven track record of publications in high-quality, peer-reviewed academic journals, edited collections and/or as the author of academic monographs. As an active researcher, you are expected to obtain funding from governmental, European and/or private institutions, to collaborate within our Faculty’s interdisciplinary research networks (called Hotspots), and to publish regularly in leading international academic journals.

You will teach courses in the Bachelor’s degree programme in Political Science, specifically in Political Theory, and within the Master's specialisation in Applied Political Theory. You will be expected to supervise Bachelor's and Master’s students, as well as PhD candidates working on their theses.

As an Associate Professor, you will play an active role in the leadership of the Department and the Faculty. As an ambassador of the Political Theory Chair Group, you will cherish and expand contacts with alumni and with relevant groups and institutions in society and actively contribute to the group’s efforts to make an impact on society. Depending on your prior experience, we will together formulate a three-to-five-year development plan aimed at your eventual promotion to full professor. Throughout this process, you will be supported by mentoring, professional development opportunities and regular career development conversations.

“After my time at the Ministry of Finance and a tax consultancy firm, I realised that I most enjoyed the substantive side of the work, while the commercial aspects appealed to me less. Moving into the academic world offered exactly what I was looking for: the freedom to immerse myself in my area of expertise and the flexibility to structure my time. That brings balance and allows room for meaningful side activities alongside my main role.

As a Professor in the Tax Law department, I experience a great deal of freedom and responsibility. I can make an impact on the development of the department, on our students and on my own academic career. The atmosphere within the programme is personal and collegial: we have lunch together, write articles together and provide close supervision to students. Seeing them grow both professionally and personally is incredibly rewarding. That is why I do this work.”

Harm van den Broek Professor of tax law

Does this sound like you?

• You have a PhD degree in Political Theory or a relevant field within philosophy, the humanities or the social sciences.
• You have an excellent academic reputation in political theory research, evidenced by a strong publication record in internationally recognised high-quality journals, edited volumes and/or as the author of academic monographs.
• You are actively involved in international collaborative networks and have strong connections with groups and organisations in society and government relevant to our alumni and researchers.
• You have proven experience in attracting research funding from research councils and other external parties.
• You are a strong team player.
• You have shown your commitment to academic citizenship both within and outside of your previous place(s) of employment.
• You have at least five years of experience teaching in the field of political theory and/or political philosophy at university level.
• You have good teaching qualities, enthusiasm for teaching and working with students, and the capacity to develop and implement innovative teaching methods as well as the ability to coordinate academic courses or study programmes. A Dutch university teaching qualification or equivalent would be an advantage.
• You have the ability to supervise and inspire PhD candidates, to cooperate across disciplinary boundaries, and have demonstrated experience in academic leadership as evidenced by coordination of a study programme and/or membership of internal committees and councils (e.g. a scientific advisory committee or examination board). We recognise that leadership can be demonstrated in a variety of formal and informal roles.
• You have the potential to take on the tasks and responsibilities of a full professor, including the ability to lead the political theory group. We welcome candidates who show strong potential for academic leadership, even if they have followed non-traditional career paths.
• You have outstanding English language skills, and if you are not a native speaker of Dutch, you are willing to learn the Dutch language within three to five years.

If you do not meet every requirement, but are excited about the role, we would still like to hear from you.

What we offer you

• We will give you a temporary employment contract of one year with the prospect of an indefinite contract.
• Your salary within salary scale 14 depends on your previous education and number of years of relevant work experience. The amounts in the scale are based on a 38-hour working week.
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20.

Additional employment conditions

Work and science require good employment practices. Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions reflect this. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself. For example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports membership. In addition, you receive a 34% discount on the sports and cultural activities at Radboud University as an employee. And, of course, we offer a good pension plan. We also give you plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

Where you will be working

The Department of Political Science is nationally recognised for the outstanding quality of its programmes (Keuzegids). The Bachelor’s programme has consistently ranked first in the Netherlands since 2011, while the Master’s programme has repeatedly held a top national position and continues to rank among the leading programmes nationwide. The department is responsible for the Dutch language BSc programme in political science, as well as seven English-language specialisations within the MSc programme. The department also contributes to a Dutch-taught Master’s programme in social studies (‘Maatschappijleer & Maatschappijwetenschappen’), and the political theory group is involved in the Master’s programme in the Philosophy of Political Science, a two-year, partly Dutch-taught programme run by the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies.

Some of the following key questions drive the research of the Political Theory Chair Group: What can and should be the ambitions for city governance, given urgent urban challenges such as segregation, gentrification and homelessness? How do past and current repertoires of radical democracy, such as communalism, help to rethink political institutions and practices in cities and workplaces? Do corporations have a responsibility for justice, and to what extent are political activities of firms in democracies desirable and legitimate? In terms of the broad methodological approach, the research by both our staff members and PhD candidates can be characterised by a commitment to developing normative arguments that are informed by empirical science, particularly social science and history. This not only allows us to contribute in a meaningful way to current societal debates and policy, but also feeds into the courses taught in the Master’s programme in Applied Political Theory.

As for teaching, the group stresses the 'applied' in Applied Political Theory: our courses are not just about interpreting or explaining the world, but also about changing it. We offer a down-to-earth, problem-oriented, and interdisciplinary programme at the intersection of political theory, political philosophy and empirical political science, and focus on contemporary political challenges such as misinformation and polarisation, historic injustice and reparations, gentrification and segregation, environmental justice, political violence and civil disobedience, and democratic innovation. We help students develop strong analytical and evaluative research skills that allow them to understand, explain and assess political decisions in any setting — and to design and help realise necessary change.

Nijmegen School of Management

At Nijmegen School of Management, one of the seven faculties within Radboud University in the Netherlands, we enable students, institutions and companies, social actors, and governments to play their part in the transformations towards a sustainable society through high-quality scientific research and education. With more than 4,500 curious students and more than 450 dedicated employees, we form a dynamic community.

Our mission ‘Responsible governance for sustainable societies’ is driven by the ambition to make a difference in the world. At Nijmegen School of Management, we understand management as a broad concept referring to the collective and organised pursuit of a better world. We study and teach management at the level of public and private organisations. In this context, we examine how to balance economic, ecological, and social values in a sustainable way.

At Nijmegen School of Management, academic research and teaching are carried out in the following areas: Business Administration, Economics and Business Economics, Political Science, Public Administration, Human Geography, Spatial Planning, and Environment. Our approach to teaching and research is evolving from multidisciplinarity, where we study societal challenges from different disciplinary backgrounds, to interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity involving non-academic stakeholders.