Successful PhD candidates will undertake doctoral research within the context of the program described above. They will receive intensive supervision, take part in relevant courses and join the post-doctoral program provided by the Dutch Research School for Public Administration and Political Science (NIG). PhD students will also be coached in getting their work published in academic journals and books. Participation in (inter)national research networks and conferences is an essential part of the job. A modest teaching task may be considered.
The senior coordinator will be responsible for program coherence, progress, organisation of seminars, external communication, and cross-cutting publications and activities, including the acquisition of new, externally financed projects.

University Graduate
Applicants for one of the PhD positions should have a Master degree with very good grades in one of the following disciplines: public administration, sociology, political science, policy and organisational studies. Furthermore, candidates must have an outspoken interest in issues of welfare state and labour market policy, as well as public governance. The also have a demonstrable affinity with doing social science research and are proficient in written and
spoken English. Finally, candidates must be highly motivated, and are able to work well independently as well as in small teams.
Applicants for the senior position have a relevant PhD, ample experience in managing complex research projects, a reputation in the field of welfare and labour research, and good communication skills.

Additional information about the job:
Background of the program
Increasingly, modern welfare states adopt so-called activating labour market policies, at the cost of their traditional emphasis on social protection. This shift in policy ambitions, however, involves complex institutional problems, including severe conflicts between the need for central coordination and control on the one hand and the requirement of a regional, decentralised and flexible approach on the other. This research program aims to identify and explain the fabric of public governance problems that are related to the emergence of the new approaches to welfare and work. The program includes four PhD projects, focussing on different aspects of the public governance puzzle. There are two projects based on international comparison (respectively analysing the organisation of central steering and the functioning of hybrid implementation styles). Two other projects focus on tensions within the Dutch approach to activating labour policies, respectively in the area of managerial practises and the regionalisation of policy making. In a later stage the program will be enriched with three integrating projects. Together with the program director (i.e. professor Willem Trommel), the 0.5 senior coordinator is responsible for scientific coherence and progress. The program is subsidised by the Dutch foundation SIG (Stichting Instituut Gak) and forms part of a larger VU-program on the ´dynamics of governance´.

VU University Amsterdam

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, has been a renowned cultural, scientific and commercial centre for many centuries. It was here, in 1880, that the VU University Amsterdam first opened its doors to students. VU stands for 'Vrije Universiteit', which means 'Free University'. Here, 'free' refers to freedom of state and church interference. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam was established in 1880 by orthodox protestants. Nowadays it aims to be inspiring, innovative and involved.

Throughout the past century, the university has continued to expand. It now comprises twelve faculties and has teaching facilities for 18,000 students.

Click here for an overview of faculties and institutes: http://www.english.vu.nl/About_the_VU/

The university campus and university hospital are situated in the south-western part of Amsterdam, one of the most dynamic and fast-growing business districts in the Netherlands. The international airport of Schiphol-Amsterdam is 10 kilometres away, just 8 minutes by train. With more than fifty undergraduate (or bachelor’s) programmes and almost a hundred postgraduate (or master’s) programmes, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers a wide choice of study options. The programmes are of a high quality, the atmosphere is very conducive to study, and the teaching staff is easily accessible.

Employment basis: Temporary for specified period
Duration of the contract: temporary

Additional conditions of employment:
The salary for PhD students is based on the salary scales for academic staff. The salary in the first year amounts to € 2.000,- gross per month, increasing to € 2.558,- gross per month in the fourth year, based on full-time employment.
The salary for the senior is also based on the scales for academic staff, and amounts from € 3.792,- gross to € 4.868,- gross a month, based on a fulltime employment.

 
Or additional information can be obtained through one of the following links.

You can apply for this job before 15-09-2008 by sending your application to:

Procedure
Candidates are encouraged to contact the program director for more information, including a full description of the program ( ). In their letters of application PhD-candidates may indicate the project(s) they give preference to. The selection procedure will include an interview and a short oral presentation. Next to a letter of motivation and a CV, PhD-candidates are asked to provide a list of grades. During the procedure, candidates may be asked to provide letters of reference and/or other written evidence of their academic qualities.

Further specifications
To PhD-students, a contract of employment is offered initially for a period of 12 months, extendable to four years upon a positive evaluation. The four-year contract period must be concluded with the completion of a doctoral dissertation. Part-time employment is possible (with a minimum of 80%, i.e. 5 years).
The senior is offered a contract of employment for a period of five years.

Further information and applications
For all other information, please contact Professor Willem Trommel (tel. +31 20 59 82962;
e-mail: )
Please sent your application letter and Curriculum Vitae, mentioning the vacancy number in the e-mail header or at the top left of the letter and envelope, before September 15, 2008 to the VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Social Sciences, attn. Mrs. Drs. M. Karssen, directeur bedrijfsvoering, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, or by e-mail: .

Any other correspondence in response to this advertisement will not be dealt with.

When applying for this job always mention the vacancy number 1.2008.00249/250.