Two Postdocs beyond giving

Philanthropic foundations increasingly shape what global justice means and how it should be implemented. This deserves scrutiny because philanthropy, beyond an act of giving, is an exercise of power. This project provides critical knowledge on how diverse foundations shape global justice and with what consequences for sustainability policies worldwide. You will be working in a team developing cutting-edge research and collaborating with renowned scholars beyond the Netherlands as well as practitioners from the philanthropy world.

Job description
The aim of Beyond Giving is to provide critical knowledge on how diverse philanthropic foundations shape global justice and with what consequences for global sustainability governance. The project examines a variety of foundations active in global sustainability governance, their interpretations of global justice, the power relations that such interpretations may reinforce or challenge, the institutionalization of such interpretations in concrete policy plans and actions, and the factors that explain variation. The selected postdoctoral researchers will strengthen the team by bringing perspectives on post-colonial contexts, non-Western approaches to justice, gender-related approaches, etc.

These postdoc vacancies are part of the project ‘Beyond Giving: Philanthropic Foundations as Agents of Justice in Global Sustainability Governance?’ funded by the Dutch Research Council. The project is led by Dr. Agni Kalfagianni.

Requirements:

• PhD in political science, political theory, social sciences, humanities or a related discipline;
• Research focus and/or interest in relevant fields (e.g. justice, governance, philanthropy, sustainability);
• Strong analytical skills;
• Ability to communicate complex information, and to interact effectively with both elite and lay participants and audiences;
• Ability and enthusiasm to work both independently and as part of a larger team;
• Willingness to travel internationally for conferences and fieldwork (if needed);
• Strong English language skills (written and verbal)
• Intellectual curiosity and motivation to address important real-world problems through rigorous and ambitious academic inquiry.

Salary Benefits:

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 1 June 2025 (and at the latest September 1st 2025) and you will be based at in Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB). This position is for 1 fte. The salary is € 4.537 gross per month Scale 11.0 on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The contract is offered for a period of 1 year and can be extended with another year.

Everything else we offer you, you can find below!

• Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!
• Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.
• Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget and free access to our university library.
• Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.
• Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare (daycare not paid for by EUR).
• Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the 30%-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

40 hours per week

Burgemeester Oudlaan 50