Vacancies

Research Assistant for Kingdom Chair
Part time (0.3 FTE ) Scale 7 (Netherlands)

Job description:
In 2024, the Netherlands Ministry for Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations (BZK) established a new Professor Chair on Kingdom Affairs, hosted by Leiden University. Prof. Wouter Veenendaal was appointed to hold this Chair, which is situated in the fields of political science and public administration, and focuses specifically on democratic representation in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Chair aims to study the characteristics of democratic representation on the six Dutch Caribbean islands, as well as the democratic representation of the Caribbean islands in the Kingdom.
In the context of this Chair, Prof. Veenendaal is recruiting a research assistant in St. Martin who is simultaneously employed by the University of St. Martin. The research assistant will assist and participate in the preparation and execution of research activities on St. Martin, the organization of workshops, events and meetings in the context of the Chair, and will generally function as a liaison between the University of St. Martin and Prof. Veenendaal. The research assistant will also have their own research and travel budget.
The research assistant is or will be employed by the University of St. Martin, but will be seconded to Leiden University. The research assistant will collaborate closely with two other research assistants who are recruited on Curaçao and Aruba. While on island, the research assistant will be supervised by the President of the University of St. Martin.

Requirements:
• A Master’s degree in social sciences, preferably in political science / public administration or a related field.
• Excellent organizational skills, and a capacity to work independently as well as in teams.
• Preferably: experience with social science research methods (opinion surveys; interviews; statistical analyses).
• Flexibility to conduct research activities, including potential short travels to other Caribbean islands and the European Netherlands.
• English language proficiency, additional Dutch and French comprehension are desirable.



Offer:
• Part-time appointment of 0.3 FTE / 30%.
• Position for initially two years, with a probation period of two months. If possible, the position can be extended to a maximum of five years.
• An individual research and travel budget of approximately USD 2.000 per year.
• Personal academic training by the Chairholder.

Information:
For questions about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Veenendaal at w.p.veenendaal@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.

Application:
If you would like to apply for this position, please send a letter of interest and your CV to Prof. Veenendaal at w.p.veenendaal@fsw.leidenuniv.nl. The deadline for submitting applications is 25 October 2024, at 23.59 hrs. AST. The selection procedure will take place in October/November 2024; you are kindly requested to be available in this period



Employer
Founded in 1989, the University of St. Martin (USM) (usm.sx) is an autonomous, publicly-funded university of higher learning and research, whose mission is to place the arts and sciences at the service of the binational community of St. Martin and neighboring islands for their sustainable socio-economic and cultural development. USM is governed by the University of St. Maarten Foundation Board; located at Soualiga Boulevard #1, Philipsburg, Sint Maarten.
In partnership with the University of the US Virgin Islands, the USM offers quality career and academic degree programs in the General Liberal Arts, Education, Business and Hospitality and Social Work. The University is also committed to the continuous development of scientific research programs geared towards improving the quality of life for the people of St. Martin, the Caribbean region, and the world at large.

Diversity & Inclusion
USM, KITLV and KNAW uphold a working environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated of great importance. A working environment in which attention is paid to individual quality and where development opportunities are paramount. Together we strive for an inclusive culture in which we embrace diversity. We would therefore like to invite candidates who want to contribute to this through their background and experience. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the candidate who thus enhances diversity within the Academy.

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