Assistant Professor Sociology

Working towards resilient societies, transparent science, and alignment with the job market: these are three of the themes that Social and Behavioural Sciences faculties at Dutch universities are focusing on. We are implementing the national sector plan for the social sciences From Insight to Impact, for developing solutions to urgent social issues and strengthening the impact of science.

We are looking for an Assistant Professor with a PhD degree in sociology (or related discipline) who actively contributes to the collaborative development and implementation of an interdisciplinary research and teaching agenda within the sector plan theme Societal Transitions and Behavior Change (STAB). Your research has clear connections to the research agenda of the theme. Your management and teaching will contribute to the Bachelor and Master’s programmes of the Department of Sociology.

What are you going to do?

The position of Assistant Professor combines teaching, research, contributing to societal impact, and service to the academic community.

Teaching contributes to the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes of the Department of Sociology (including a faculty-level interdisciplinary research master program), student supervision, and curriculum development of our teaching. Furthermore, the candidate will supervise Bachelor, Master, and PhD students. The ability to teach in Dutch is essential, as a substantial part of the curriculum is offered in Dutch. Teaching may also take place in English and can include hybrid forms of education.

Research in this position contributes to the STAB research program and focusses on the behavioural and social mechanisms through which societal transitions unfold. It examines how individual behaviour, social networks, organizations, institutions, and norms interact across micro, meso, and macro levels to shape the implementation and consequences of policies and interventions in areas such as sustainability, climate change, and inequalities. The successful candidate will develop a research agenda that fits with the profile of the Department of Sociology and connects to ICS, the national-level interuniversity research and training center ICS (Interuniversity Center of Social Science Theory and Methodology) and/or the summit program SOCION (Social Cohesion: Towards a New Fabric of Society), two programmes in which the department plays a central role. We welcome candidates who combine strong sociological theory with empirical research and who are open to collaboration across disciplines. The candidate is expected to develop a research-funding plan allowing her/him to attract external funding in the short/medium term.

Active engagement with societal stakeholders, as well as participation in managerial committees related to the organization of the programmes is expected.

For more information about the research in the sector plan, please visit: