Two Assistant Professors in Public Administration

Leiden University via AcademicTransfer; Netherlands; Hybrid; EUR 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary scale 11 (38h)

Pension (ABP)

Holiday allowance 8%

End-of-year bonus 8.3%

Public transport reimbursement

Hybrid working

Home-working allowance (day & internet

Laptop and mobile provided

Job summary

Leiden University in The Hague invites two ambitious Assistant Professors in Public Administration to develop their own research agenda while contributing to teaching in Bachelor and Master programmes. You will conduct independent research, pursue interdisciplinary collaborations, and engage with societal stakeholders as part of FGGA’s Institute of Public Administration.

The role offers teaching opportunities, support for new research funding, and a path toward a permanent academic appointment

Qualifications

• Completed PhD in Public Administration or related field.
• Clear research agenda in public administration policy.
• Publications in international journals or potential.
• Experience with university teaching; open to innovative methods.
• Teaching qualification (BKO) or plan to obtain within 2 years.
• Team player and capable of interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Excellent English and Dutch; willingness to master Dutch (C1) within 2 years).

Responsibilities

• Initiate and conduct independent research in public administration and governance.
• Teach in bachelor and master programmes in Public Administration.
• Supervise bachelor’s, master’s and potentially PhD theses.
• Apply for external research funding (e.g. NWO, ERC, Horizon Europe).
• Contribute to organisational and management tasks within the institute.
• Participate in national and international academic research networks.
• Collaborate with societal stakeholders in knowledge exchange and impact activities.

Skills

Research agenda development

Teaching experience

Academic publications

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Dutch language proficiency

BKO or teaching qualification

Relocation willingness

Education

PhD in Public Administration/Public Policy/Public Management/Political Science

Job description

Organisation/Company Leiden University Research Field Political sciences » Governance Political sciences » Public policy Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Leading Researcher (R4) Established Researcher (R3) Application Deadline 14 Sep 2026 - 21:59 (UTC) Country Netherlands Type of Contract Permanent Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 38.0 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Two Assistant Professors in Public Administration (2.0 fte)

Are you an ambitious public administration scholar with a strong commitment to research and teaching? Join one of Europe’s leading public administration institutes in The Hague and develop your own research agenda in a vibrant and internationally oriented academic community.

What you will do

The Institute of Public Administration at Leiden University is looking to appoint two Assistant Professors in Public Administration (Universitair Docent Bestuurskunde). You will contribute to research, education and societal engagement across the broad domains of public administration and governance. You will teach in our Bachelor and Master programmes in Public Administration. Alongside teaching, you have or are looking to develop your own research agenda that is theoretically rooted in public administration and governance. Your research is embedded in the institute’s research programme and you will be encouraged to develop disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborations and acquire external research funding.

The institute consists of four sections and values intellectual diversity. The two vacancies arise from departures in the areas of States, Markets, and Civil Society; and Public Management and Organisation. Ideally, we welcome candidates with a thematic research affinity to one of these sections, and whose teaching spans core subjects of public administration education, such as public policy, multi-level governance, organisation theory, and design and methods in the social sciences.

Your key tasks are:

• Initiate and conduct an independent line of research in public administration and governance, building and developing your own scholarly profile and contributing to the institute’s research programme.
• Teach, improve and develop courses in bachelor and master programmes in Public Administration.
• Supervise bachelor’s, master’s and potentially PhD theses.
• Apply for external research funding (e.g. NWO, ERC, Horizon Europe).
• Contribute to organisational and management tasks 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)? Contributing 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. More information on the Institute of Public Administration.

What you bring

• We are thus looking for a talented scholar who can contribute to both the teaching and research in our Institute. We are looking for someone who can work independently. Every job is different; 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. This position is a good fit for you if you recognise yourself in the following:
• You hold a completed PhD in Public Administration, Public Management, Public Policy, Political Science, or a closely related field;
• You have a clear research agenda in public administration policy and demonstrate the potential to make a strong scholarly contribution to the field. We welcome a broad range of substantive and methodological approaches and encourage candidates to further develop their own research profile in dialogue with the institute’s research programme and colleagues;
• You have publications of high standard in international scientific journals, or demonstrable potential to do so;
• You are enthusiastic about teaching, have experience with university teaching, and are open to innovative and activating teaching methods;
• You have a university teaching qualification (BKO) or equivalent, or are willing to obtain one within two years;
• You are a team player in research and education, and like to work with colleagues within and across academic disciplines;
• Experience with interdisciplinary collaboration and societal engagement is an asset;
• You have excellent proficiency in English and Dutch (or willingness to master a C1 level of fluency in Dutch within two years, with support being provided by the institute);
• You live and are officially registered as resident in The Netherlands or are willing to relocate upon starting the position.

What we offer

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 just steps away from Leiden’s lively city centre or 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 18 months with a view to conversion to permanent employment after an evaluation period of 12 months. This contract falls under the CLA of Dutch Universities;
• A salary between €4925 - €6682 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 a sabbatical or 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 and bicycle scheme;
• If your work allows it, hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands;
• A home-working allowance (day and internet allowance) and attention for good workplaces. The University will also provide you with a laptop and a mobile telephone.

For more information about employment conditions, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions

What we value

Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. We strive to be an open community in which all students and staff members feel valued and respected, and are able to fully develop themselves. We consider an inclusive academic environment, where students and staff can share their experiences and viewpoints, to be essential for the development of talent.

If you immediately recognise yourself in this profile, or if do you not quite meet all the requirements, but you believe that this is the right job for you, we look forward to your application!