All Things Urban

The Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR) unites all social science research of the University of Amsterdam. The research programme focuses on the functioning of contemporary societies and their interrelationships from historical, comparative and empirical perspectives. It is organised into thematically focused groups with an anchor in one or more of the represented disciplines: sociology, geography, planning & development studies, political science and anthropology.

The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG) is the largest social-science educational and research institution in the Netherlands. The Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR) is responsible for research in the social sciences. We offer an exciting job opening in a dynamic, inter-disciplinary research setting, with the opportunity to develop research and managerial skills, and build professional, international networks. The ideal candidate has a master's in urban planning, geography, transportation planning, political science or a related field. This position will be aiding the research of a current PhD student whose research focuses on (policy) learning processes of sustainable urban mobility policy and practices. The research empirically studies these processes embedded in three international projects, two of which are EU-based.

We are looking for a research assistant who can: - Perform research activities such as statistical analyses, interview transcription, data compilation and processing; - Support administrative organisation, such as scheduling interviews; - Manage programme related communications; - Conduct literature reviews and organize literature in a database (ie, Mendeley); - Co-write reviews, project reports, summaries, blogs, project documents, and academic papers; - Where necessary, provide support during research process, e.g. assisting in training/workshops in programme cities, data cleaning, data analysis, developing visuals on the basis of research findings, etc.; - Where relevant, will (co-)organize and attend project meetings, working group meetings, dissemination events, and develop minutes of these meetings; - Provide administrative support, including managing Dropbox folders, sending out invitations to meetings, making practical arrangements for meetings, writing minutes, and making necessary travel arrangements; - Work together with secretarial, financial and academic staff of UvA/AISSR about contracts, expenditures, time registration a/o.

- Fluency in English, and preferably conversational in one other European language; - Accuracy, attention to detail and strong organizational skills; - Demonstrated the ability for critical thinking; - The ability to time manage and work with deadlines; - Good interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills; - Well-developed research skills, both quantitative and qualitative; - Well-developed writing skills, preferable experience with academic writing for journals; - A pro-active, demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a team; - A flexible schedule (for possible international/EU travel and interviews across different time zones); - Experience/affinity with research and programmes regarding urban planning, transportation/mobility, or related topics; - Good IT skills (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SPSS). Knowledge of online data collection software (ie, Qualtrics) is an advantage.

A challenging work environment with a variety of duties and ample scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organisation. The social and behavioural sciences play a leading role in addressing the major societal challenges faced by the world, the Netherlands and Amsterdam, now and in the future. The position concerns a temporary appointment of 30,4 hours per week for a term of 12 months, with a probationary period of two months. Starting date is 1 February 2019, or as soon as possible.

€2.514 to € 2.640 gross per month, based on 38 hours per week

This job is available for international candidates.