Social Psychology vacatures

Your function

We have an exciting opportunity for an ambitious person to join us as a Lecturer within the Department of Human Movement Science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The department is situated in the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences which has a strong interdisciplinary and international orientation bringing together staff in movement sciences and different disciplines within psychology (e.g., clinical, biological, experimental and applied psychology). The Department of Human Movement Sciences itself brings together a large group of academics from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds, all addressing human movement as the topic of their research and education.

One of our key strengths is our critical mass of high-quality academics. This resulted in the department recently being ranked #7 globally in the Shanghai Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments (and #1 in the Netherlands). We are searching for a candidate who focuses on the field of sport, exercise and performance psychology. Note that in the Netherlands, sport psychology is very broadly defined to include work in skill acquisition and motor control. We encourage people with expertise in these fields to also apply.

Your duties
The candidate is expected to:

• conduct high-quality teaching in sport and performance psychology
• help to enhance our educational program in sport and performance psychology
• supervise student research projects in sport psychology
• contribute to innovative research in collaboration with others in our department
• be an active part of our department (participate in departmental work groups, commissions, project teams, activities and tasks)
• generate economic and/or societal as well as scientific impact as a result of your teaching

Your profile

• completed PhD (or close to completion) in sport, exercise and/or performance psychology, human movement sciences, or a related area
• teaching qualification and experience (as evidenced by excellent teaching evaluations)
• excellent communication and organisational skills
• demonstrated methodological and analytical skills relevant to sport psychology
• demonstrated knowledge and skills in data science and/or qualitative analyses relevant for the field
• knowledge of and affinity with sports and other high-achievement settings (e.g., military, police, dance, music)
• the ability to teach and work in both English and Dutch, or a willingness to learn each language in a reasonable period of time

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. The job profile is based on the university job ranking system (Lecturer, level 3) and is vacant for 1.0 FTE for an appointment for up to four years. On full-time basis the remuneration amounts to a minimum gross monthly salary of € 4.925,00 (Scale 11) and maximum € 6.682,00 (Scale 11), the exact salary depends on your education and experience.

Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment.
• an additional 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• solid pension scheme (ABP).
• contribution to commuting expenses.
• optional model for designing a personalised benefits package.

About us

Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences
Developing knowledge for an active, healthy and meaningful life: that is our mission at the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences at VU Amsterdam. We maintain a broad focus on the fields of behaviour and health. Our teaching and research programmes are devoted to current developments in society. From healthy aging to e-health, and from training top athletes to social media as a teaching tool. We combine three academic disciplines: psychology, movement sciences and education. A multidisciplinary approach allows us to arrive at a better understanding of human behaviour and movement. Our aims are to help people live healthier lives, learn better and function better.

Are you interested in joining Behavioural and Movement Sciences? You are the kind of person who feels at home working in an ambitious faculty, with an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. We offer you all the space you need for personal development. Together with your 630 colleagues, you will take care of about 4,200 students.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Interested

Are you interested in this position? Please apply via the application button and upload your curriculum vitae and cover letter by October 15, 2026.

Applications received by e-mail will not be processed.

Vacancy questions
If you have any questions regarding this vacancy, please contact:

Name: Dr Raoul Oudejans
Position: Associate Professor (Universitair Hoofddocent [UHD])
E-mail: r.oudejans@vu.nl