Are you a visual ethnographer exploring questions in medical anthropology through film? Do you want to join one of the largest anthropology departments in Europe with a vibrant visual and medical anthropology community?
The Department of Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam has an excellent reputation in both research and teaching and is home to a lively academic community. The Department currently has an opening for an Assistant Professor who combines research and teaching in Visual and Medical Anthropology and has a proven track record in both fields. This position is embedded in the programme group Health, Care and the Body.
We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive working environment and strongly encourage applications from candidates from groups historically underrepresented in Dutch academia.
What are you going to do
You will actively contribute to the department and its teaching and research programs, in particular in Visual and Medical Anthropology.
The position will require you to:
- develop and teach general, specialist and methodology courses in our Bachelor and Master’s programs, particularly in the fields of visual and medical anthropology, and supervise undergraduate and graduate students;
- develop, carry out and supervise anthropological research, participate in international research networks and develop a line of research in collaboration with other researchers working at the department;
- acquire and help to acquire external funding for research (also alongside junior researchers);
- engage in activities in the public sphere and in other arenas outside academia;
- take on academic service tasks within the department.
What do you have to offer:
Essential criteria:
- a PhD degree and some experience as a postdoctoral researcher or (junior) faculty member;
- a strong track record in visual and medical anthropology;
- experience as ethnographic / documentary filmmaker;
- a proven track record in high-quality teaching at Bachelor and Masters level, and ability to teach theoretical and methodological courses in visual and medical anthropology;
- the potential to acquire research funding from external sources (for instance, Netherlands’ Organization for Scientific Research, the European Research Council);
- excellent knowledge of spoken and written English;
- working proficiency in the Dutch language or the willingness develop this within two years;
- a commitment to academic service, including management tasks in the department.
Desirable qualities:
- expertise in one of the following areas within medical anthropology: mental health; disability; reproductive health; or pharmaceuticals;
- expertise in one of the following areas within visual anthropology: media anthropology; anthropology of sound; history of ethnographic film; sensory ethnography;
- a proven commitment to public anthropological engagement with non-academic actors.
What else do we offer:
- We offer an employment contract of 38 hours per week for one year with a probationary period of two months. If you prove to be a good fit and financial and organizational circumstances remain unchanged, the contract will be converted into a permanent employment agreement.
- We hope you will be able to start by 1 September 2026.
- Your salary, depending on your relevant experience and qualifications, ranges between €4,728 to €6,433 gross per month based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8.3% year-end allowance. A favourable tax agreement, the ’30 % ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU) is applicable.