The UvA’s Faculty of Science is launching a major recruitment campaign called ‘Connecting Science’ in the areas of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Computer Science. Our ambition is to attract top talent from all over the world to a large number of newly created faculty positions in a wide range of exciting scientific directions. We offer a stimulating environment and excellent conditions for research, tightly connected to challenging educational programmes.

We are looking for ambitious and motivated scientists to connect different science disciplines. Our goal is to have a maximal impact on science and society.

Research area

The KdVI aims to strengthen its research in discrete mathematics. Currently the discrete mathematics group consists of two permanent members and several PhD students. The research of the group is diverse, ranging from polyhedral combinatorics, logistics, algorithms, and probabilistic and extremal combinatorics, to topics at the interface of combinatorics and algebra.

In recent years the group has focused on describing the computational complexity of graph theoretical concepts arising from statistical physics. Examples include the partition functions of the hardcore, Ising and Potts models, important physical concepts closely related to deep combinatorial quantities such as proper colorings of graphs and clustering in networks. The research in this direction closely connects discrete mathematics to statistical physics, theoretical computer science, dynamical systems, and stochastic networks. As a consequence the discrete mathematics group currently closely collaborates with the dynamical systems group of the KdV Institute.

Strong candidates working in any direction of discrete mathematics are encouraged to apply for this tenure track position. Affinity with dynamical systems is considered a plus, but not a requirement.

Embedding of the position

You will be a member of the discrete mathematics group. Many important activities in mathematics are organized on a national level in the Netherlands. We are actively involved in these national efforts, for instance through the national research cluster DIAMANT and the NETWORKS programme. We also contribute to the national programme Mastermath by offering courses on a master/PhD level.

Tasks

You are expected to:

• be active in the research of discrete mathematics, publishing in high level international journals, presenting at leading conferences and supervising PhD students;
• take part in the teaching effort of the group, including supervision of bachelor and master students, teaching for other departments, and teaching in the national master programme;
• be active in the attraction of external funding.

We will base our selection on your scientific track record and on your vision for future research, as well as on your teaching achievement, qualifications, and vision for future teaching.

What do we require?

• A PhD in Mathematics with an affinity for discrete mathematics;
• excellent research skills, evidenced by a track record of publications in renowned international conferences and journals, and contributed and/or invited talks at international conferences/workshops;
• a strong background, experience and expertise with research in combinatorics and or its neighboring disciplines such as probability, algebra and computer science;
• teaching experience at university level and demonstrable didactic abilities;
• preferably some experience with the (co-)supervision of BSc, MSc and/or PhD students;
• the willingness to contribute to valorisation efforts and to foster collaborations with other academic institutes and industry;
• (the ability to develop) the management skills required for general academic administration, organisational and coordination tasks;
• the ability to attract external funding;
• good command of English and willingness to learn the Dutch language. 

International research experience is preferred as is a highly collaborative and enthusiastic approach.

We offer you a tenure-track agreement for five years (which is part of a six-year temporary appointment). At the start, we will draw up an agreement with you, specifying the tenure-track requirements for research, teaching and management tasks that need to be fulfilled in order to assess progress after three years and after five years. The requirements in this agreement are negotiable and depend on your experience and scientific profile. Following a positive assessment after five years  the appointment will become permanent.

Start dates are negotiable. The positions will be filled at the level of Assistant or Associate professor, depending on qualifications. The starting salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel, and depending on experience and qualifications. It will range from a minimum of €3,637 up to a maximum of €6,738 gross per month (salary scale 11-14) based on full-time employment. This is exclusive 8 % holiday allowance and 8.3 % end-of-year bonus. A favorable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

Are you curious about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits like our excellent opportunities for study and development? Take a look here.

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

Faculty of Science – Korteweg-de Vries Institute for Mathematics

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 6,500, as well as 1,600 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Korteweg-de Vries Instituut voor Wiskunde (KdV Institute) is the mathematical research institute of the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam. The KdV Institute offers a stimulating scientific environment in which research focuses mainly within the research programmes (1) Algebra, Geometry and Mathematical Physics, (2) Pure, Applied and Numerical Analysis, and (3) Stochastics. It also provides the lecturers and instructors for the mathematics teaching within the Science faculty. The KdV Institute participates in the NWO research clusters GQT, STAR, NDNS+, DIAMANT, and the NWO-Gravity programmes NETWORKS and the Quantum Software Consortium. There is formal (and informal) collaboration with the Centrum voor Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI), the VU University and the financial industry. The KdVI organises popularising activities such as ’ Leve de Wiskunde’, Masterclasses and online webclasses. The KdVI has about 30 faculty members and 40 postdoctoral rexsearchers and PhD students.