Assistant Professor of Modern English Literature and Culture (1.0 FTE)

The Faculty of Arts in the University of Groningen invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor of Modern English Literature and Culture. The post is full-time and, initially, for a 12-month period. An ability to teach eighteenth-century literature, late twentieth-century/ contemporary literature, creative writing and/or publishing studies may be an advantage. The successful candidate will be a member of the Modern English Literature and Culture chair group; a self-contained teaching and research unit.

Tasks and responsibilities:

Teaching
The successful candidate is expected to teach across our BA and MA programmes, in both survey courses and more specialised ones. Our BA in English Language and Culture (https://rug.nl/bachelors/english-language-and-culture/#int ) has an annual enrolment of 90-100 Dutch and international students. We offer two one-year MA tracks: the MA English Literature and Culture (https://rug.nl/masters/english-literature-and-culture/ ) and the MA in Writing, Editing and Mediating (https://rug.nl/masters/writing-editing-and-mediating/ ), focused on literature in professional contexts (e.g. editing, creative writing, publishing, and book history).

Research
The successful candidate is expected to contribute outstanding research in their specialist area, develop their own research and funding plans, and communicate their research and societal impact. Research in the fields of Modern English Literature and Culture is housed in the Groningen Research Institute for the Study of Culture (ICOG). Our Faculty currently hosts the Netherlands Research School for Literary Studies (OSL).

Administration
The successful candidate is expected to perform administrative duties to support the provision of our BA and MA teaching programmes. This includes, but is not limited to, committee and outreach work.

The Assistant Professor will

• Devise and teach English literature courses at BA and MA levels. They may also contribute to the Faculty’s BA in European Languages and Cultures, or the two-year research master's track in Arts, Media and Literary Studies.
• Conduct research in the field of Anglophone literature and culture (c.1550-present).
• Co-supervise PhD students.
• If appropriate, apply for external research funding.
• Fulfil organisational roles within the Department of English and the Faculty of Arts.

Organisation

The University of Groningen has an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative centre of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Balanced study and career paths in a wide variety of disciplines encourage the 34,000 students and researchers to develop their own individual talents. Belonging to the best research universities in Europe and joining forces with prestigious partner universities and networks, the University of Groningen is truly an international place of knowledge.

Faculty and Program
The Faculty of Arts is built on a long-standing tradition of four centuries. Our mission is to be a top-ranking faculty with both an excellent education and world-quality research, with a strong international orientation, firmly rooted in the North of the Netherlands. We build and share knowledge benefits to society. We work at a modern, broad and international institution, educating over 5,000 Dutch and international students to become forward-looking, articulate and independent academics. We are a diverse team of 700 staff members.

Program
The Department of English Language and Culture is composed of three chair groups: Medieval English Literature and Culture, Modern English Literature and Culture, and English Linguistics. It is the oldest English department in the Netherlands and a decade ago was the first such department in the country to switch entirely to English-language instruction and assessment. We are a well-established department with solid enrolment.

Modern English Literature and Culture embraces literatures of the English-speaking world from roughly 1550 to the present. Once our current vacancy is filled, we will be a team of nine full-time tenure-track/ tenured staff members (in addition to varying numbers of temporary lecturers).

Requirements

• A PhD degree in English Literature or a closely related field.
• Proven ability in academic research, demonstrated by a combination of the following: publications in leading international journals; a monograph or collection with an academic press; successful funding applications.
• Demonstrable success as a dedicated teacher.
• A willingness to acquire the Dutch university teaching qualification (BKO), for which training is available.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrable organisational competencies.
• The ability to collaborate in teaching and research.
• In case of employment exceeding 12 months: the willingness to learn Dutch at least to the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages for which language classes are available.
• Residence in or near Groningen after appointment.

We offer in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement for Dutch universities

• It is an employment contract for the duration of 12 months, ending by operation of law after this period.
• A salary, depending on qualifications and work experience, with a minimum of € 4,537 to a maximum of € 6,209 (salary scale 11) gross per month for a full-time position.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% end-of-year bonus.
• Participation in a pension scheme for employees.
• Favourable tax agreements for non-Dutch applicants may be applicable.

Prof. Julia Kühn, Chair of Modern English Literature and Culture,   j.c.kuhn@rug.nl