We invite applications for a faculty position in the Department of Physics of Utrecht University to strengthen and broaden the research programme of the Institute for Theoretical Physics (ITP) in the area of Theoretical Biophysics. A strong commitment to teaching is imperative. In view of the gender balance we especially encourage qualified female scientists to apply.

The successful candidate will join the ITP of the Department of Physics of Utrecht University. In the ITP, research is conducted in areas that range from quantum and soft condensed-matter physics to particle physics, string theory, and cosmology, often in direct collaboration with experimental physicists, chemists, and mathematicians. The new staff is expected to develop a new research line in the direction of theoretical biophysics, in particular bio-inspired materials and devices, an area in which a full professor is concurrently being recruited to lead experiments in the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science (DINS) in the Department of Physics. The new research line is expected to be complementary to the existing theoretical and experimental biophysics and soft-matter research activities at the ITP and DINS, and could possibly form connections with other biophysical research activities on the UU campus, for instance, in the Department of Biology, the University Medical Center Utrecht, or the Hubrecht Institute.

The ITP also shapes a vibrant and internationally oriented MSc programme Theoretical Physics and strongly contributes to the UU BSc programme Physics and Astronomy. The successful candidate is expected to actively contribute to these teaching activities on general physics. This includes developing and lecturing courses on biophysics, possibly also in the international BSc-programme Molecular and Biophysical Life Sciences that will start in 2021 in the Faculty of Science and in the minor Biophysics in the BSc-programme Physics & Astronomy. Moreover, the successful candidate is also expected to supervise BSc and MSc students with research thesis projects. On top of this we expect an enthusiastic attitude towards fund acquisition and outreach.

The successful candidate holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics (or a closely related field) and has a proven track record in the area of Theoretical Biophysics. The new staff is expected to start and lead a vigorous and independent research group largely based on external funding, and to be able to initiate and foster local, national, and international collaborations.

Moreover, a strong commitment to high-quality teaching at BSc, MSc, and PhD level is required and the candidate is therefore expected to acquire a basic teaching qualification (BKO).

This is an appointment of 1.0 FTE for the duration of five years. The successful candidate is offered a Tenure Track position, which will be subject to a mid-term evaluation after approximately 2,5 years and a final evaluation after four years. If the evaluations are positive, the position becomes permanent. The criteria to be met and the details of the track will be mutually agreed upon before the start of the appointment; the criteria will include success in research and education. Starting date of the appointment is envisaged to be as soon as possible but no later than September 1st, 2020. The starting date will be determined by mutual agreement. In case of a good performance, an indefinite employment is one of the possibilities. 
The minimum gross salary, depending on previous qualifications and experience, is €3,255 and the maximum gross salary is €5,656 per month (scale 10/11/12 of the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities) for a full-time employment. Besides that, you will receive a holiday allowance of 8 % and a year-end bonus of 8.3 %. Utrecht University also has an appealing package of terms of employment, including the choice for a good balance between work and private (a good arrangement for leave, among other things), possibilities for development and an excellent pension scheme. More information on working at Utrecht University can be found here.

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The ITP is one of the four institutes in the Department of Physics and fosters close ties with several other research groups in the Faculty of Science. In the context of condensed-matter research strong connections already exist with the research groups within the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science active in areas including soft-condensed matter, physical and colloid chemistry, biophysics, cold atoms, and nanophotonics. Joint grants, seminars, group meetings, and PhD- and MSc-projects shape mutual collaborations. The successful candidate is invited to strengthen and/or extend these collaborations, for instance also in the context of the Utrecht Focus Area Foundations of Complex Systems or the UU strategic themes Life Sciences and Sustainability, e.g. with the Department of Biology or other departments and institutes at the Utrecht Science Park.

The ITP is also part of the Delta-ITP, a consortium that joins theoretical physicists from the Universities of Amsterdam, Leiden and Utrecht. The primary aim of the D-ITP is to deepen the collaborations between the associated researchers, and the new staff is expected to actively contribute to this aim.