Head of ArtScience – ad interim position

The University of the Arts The Hague, the Interfaculty ArtScience has an immediate vacancy for the post of

Head of ArtScience – ad interim position (0.5 FTE)

Vacancy number: 25-004

What will you do

As the ad interim Head of the ArtScience Interfaculty, you take on the

daily management of the interfaculty during the temporary absence of the permanent Head. You mobilise all available expertise in the appropriate direction through communication with teachers, coaches and students. You collaborate closely with and within the academic organisation as well as with external parties, like Leiden University. You are charged with a range of tasks, such as the chairing of meetings, monitoring teachers’ annual workload, supervising exams and guiding events like the Open Day and the Graduation Festival.

As the Head, you function between the educational department with teachers and students, and the organisation. On one hand, you lead the department in developing and supporting a healthy and inspirational environment for both teachers and students. On the other hand, you dedicate time to the managerial processes and contribute to policy development, such as periodic educational evaluations, accreditation processes, budget management, and HR tasks such as staff performance appraisals. You bring your work together in annual plans and reports that are informed and discussed in both the direction of the department and the organisation.

You will also be leading the process of implementing a number of important intended (administrative and/or educational) changes in the department. With an eye for both constructive continuity and the need for renewal, you are to develop the educational vision, organizational structure and curriculum, especially with regard to enforcing safety, inclusion and diversity within the department in order to realise a healthy working and learning environment for both students and staff. You are to develop a place for artistic research in the curriculum. Paramount is your undivided commitment to transparency, care for mutual trust and a desire for shared decision making.

You will recognize the qualities in the current curriculum and take it forward to a

progressive and distinctive educational program, closely aligned with the latest

developments in professional practice. You create a balanced composition of the

teaching team and ensure that appealing teachers commit to the program.

You are responsible for the daily implementation of education, where you are

supported by a coordinator for organisational and production matters. If possible, you will also provide some of the teaching yourself. Together with the other heads of the educational departments, you are jointly responsible for the educational and

research policy of the KABK and KC and you advise the management on the development of the education.

Your profile

Personality

• You are caring, open-minded, decisive, inspiring and enthusiastic;
• You enjoy engaging with students and are committed to the development of the next generation of artists;
• You have organisational qualities and are a team builder and motivator;
• You are an inspiring leader who communicates easily with teachers and young people who knows how to inspire and support young people in their ambitions;
• You are a connector: you are able to listen carefully, communicate clearly and efficiently, and you are easily approachable. You are a diplomat;
• You are dedicated as much to the arts in general as to the educational culture within the KABK and the KC.

Vision

• You have a clear and well-argued vision on art and art education that aligns well with the ideas and needs within the KABK and the KC. Your vision is indicated through publications, lectures and other public appearances and engagements.
• You are ready to develop, discuss and defend the ArtScience department’s vision and policies both within and outside the academy and conservatoire;
• You have a solid vision of international developments in the field and be able to translate this into an innovative educational program;
• You see the opportunity to implement a number of important changes -mentioned above- as an exciting and welcome opportunity in art education.

Experience

• You have a relevant track record as an artist, curator and/or art educator;
• You are well-acquainted with the Dutch and European systems for higher professional education and contemporary didactics in (art) teaching;
• You have acquired ample management skills in comparable organisations;
• You have an excellent national and international network in the art world that you are ready to deploy for the benefit of the department and the KABK / KC;
• You have knowledge of and/or affinity with developments of ArtScience

in an (inter)national context;

• You have experience in higher arts education, in curriculum development, conducting research and preparing students for professional practice;
• For this position a MA-level is required;
• You master the English and Dutch language; you live in The Netherlands.

ArtScience

The ArtScience Interfaculty is an experimental programme currently offering a BA and MA/MMs that explores the intersections of the Arts and Sciences, and fosters curiosity driven research as an approach to creating art and producing new forms of knowledge. The interfaculty is located within and between the Royal Academy of Art and the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague.

The ArtScience Interfaculty operates in a vibrant local and regional biotope of academic, engineering, arts & music, ArtScience, and research institutions and initiatives. The interfaculty also interfaces with a growing international network of like-minded institutions and groups. We are in a continuous process of strengthening and deepening the research dimension of ArtScience, challenging the boundaries of both the arts and the sciences, as well as the conceptions informing the field of ArtScience itself.

What we offer

The current position is ad interim, in order to ensure continuity during the temporary absence of the Head of ArtScience. You can start ASAP. At first we offer a contract until 1 September 2025. Extension is an option if circumstances so require and after evaluation. The salary amounts to a maximum of € 7,495.896 gross per month for a fulltime appointment. The position is classified as pay scale 13 under the Collective Agreement for Universities of Applied Sciences (cao hbo). Furthermore, we offer a holiday allowance of 8% and a fixed end-of-year bonus of 8.3%; generous holiday leave, part of which is to be taken during school holidays; and good study and development opportunities.

How to apply

Please mail your CV and a cover letter no later than January 26th to: werving@hdkdenhaag.nl, mentioning vacancy number 25-004. Job interviews will take place on Wednesday 29 January between 10.00 – 13.00 hrs.

If you would like to learn more about the position first, Lies Colman, Director at Royal Conservatoire, e-mail: l.colman@koncon.nl, will be pleased to provide you with further information. For more information, visit our websites: www.kabk.nl. and www.koncon.nl.

This vacancy is open internally and externally at the same time. In case of equal suitability, internal candidates will have priority for placement in this position.  

Within the University of the Arts, we are working to create a community in which diversity and inclusion are the basic principles. We want the uniqueness of each individual to be recognised and welcomed within the organisation. We therefore invite you to apply and are curious to know who you are.